Spellbound
by moon-mynxie
Summary: When Kakashi and Sakura apprehend a criminal in the forest, things seem to be going well until a blinding flash of light and their target's disappearance leave them in a confused daze. The situation only escalates when an inexplicable attraction pushes them to boundaries never before crossed in their relationship. Is it just the effect of a powerful genjutsu, or something more?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Characters depicted are above the age of eighteen. As they are under the influence of a genjutsu, this story contains elements of dub-con. Please read at your own discretion.

* * *

After a long day of endless rainfall, the forest was coated in a tapestry of shimmering moisture, thick with mist and a layer of cold that penetrated every twig and leaf. The ground was so sodden and muddy it made traveling by foot nearly impossible, so Kakashi and Sakura had resorted to bounding through the treetops—they had been for days. They were starting to catch up to their target, but it had taken some effort; the weather certainly wasn't ideal for scouting missions, let alone any other type of mission, but given that Kakashi was one of the best trackers in Konoha, Sakura had little doubt they would be closing in on the enemy soon. Or at least she hoped they would; she wasn't really sure how much longer her feet could carry her.

Seeing Kakashi gesture from up ahead, Sakura jumped to the nearest branch and stopped as he quietly surveyed the area.

"We're close."

Sakura's heart thudded a little faster. Not from fear, but excitement. It wasn't often that she went on missions like this, especially not as of late, and she was grateful Kakashi had let her tag along. Given his solitary nature, she figured it was somewhat of a compromise for him, but even he seemed to appreciate her desire to broaden her experience. Truth be told, she had practically lived at the hospital for the past two years, and although she had made great strides as a medic, her basic ninja skills had kind of fallen to the wayside. She found that the missions Kakashi took were especially challenging, and that was precisely why she had thought to accompany him. She had learned a lot from watching the copy-nin over the last few months—honestly, more so than she ever had when he'd actually been her sensei. It was a fact far too ironic, and perhaps offensive, to tell him, but he seemed to understand the benefit. Maybe a part of him even enjoyed her company, to some small extent. After all, no human being truly enjoyed being alone all the time…at least she figured so.

A small burst of wind drew Sakura from her thoughts as Pakkun appeared on the branch beside Kakashi. They exchanged short, muffled words and then the dog disappeared in a puff of smoke. The copy-nin stood.

"Just a few yards ahead. The target is making camp for the evening."

Sakura nodded. "What's the plan?"

"I want to take him by surprise, but I'm not sure whether he knows we're tracking him or not. Just stay on guard."

"Always."

With that, the pair bounded off through the trees, silent and swift, as Sakura mentally prepared herself for the confrontation. She was almost looking forward to it.

They reached an area where the ground sloped and the shadows thickened. Sakura caught up with Kakashi, but before she could go any further, he barred her with his arm.

"What is it?" she asked.

Kakashi nodded vaguely. "Looks like he cast a protection jutsu around the site."

Sakura paused, and sure enough she detected a dense cluster of chakra up ahead. "Makes sense," she said. "What do we do now?"

"We'll have to wait until he takes it down—probably around dawn whenever he decides to pack up."

Sakura frowned. "That's quite a while from now."

Kakashi smirked. "Better get comfortable then."

Sighing, Sakura followed him a little further away until they settled among the boughs of a large oak tree. Almost as soon as Kakashi sat down, he pulled an Icha Icha book from his vest and began silently reading, leaving Sakura to tend to the weapons and check inventory. It was a common ritual they fell into when things slowed down, and she found she didn't mind the silence as much as she once had. It gave her time to think about the mission, and honestly, she kind of preferred it to Naruto's incessant, tactless chatter and Sasuke's constant moodiness.

They sat for some time, the quiet turning of pages and the rough shirk of stone on metal filling the silence between them. After awhile, when the sun began to sink below the treetops, Kakashi put away his book and helped Sakura with her task. The quiet went on for a bit longer until Kakashi suddenly stilled.

Sakura looked at him. "What?"

Before he could answer, there was a sharp whirl of metal and the clank of a heavy object. With a yelp, Sakura was slammed back against the tree and pinned down by what she quickly realized was an iron chain. Kakashi had narrowly evaded the assault, but before he could break Sakura loose, a kunai hurtled toward his head and he was forced to jump away. Abruptly, a shadowy figure darted through the branches and Kakashi went after it. Gritting her teeth, Sakura squirmed under the chain as she heard Kakashi catch up to their assailant. There was a heavy grunt as if the stranger had been knocked off his feet, and then ensued the telltale sounds of battle.

"Urgh."

The chain was clearly charged with chakra, as even with her strength, Sakura struggled against it. Every muscle in her body tensed as she felt the cold metal links dig into her skin. It was only after exerting her chakra to near-full capacity that she finally heard a loud snap and the chain broke away.

"Piece of cake," she murmured with a smirk.

Swiftly, she leapt through the forest until she reached Kakashi and the newcomer, who were matched toe-to-toe in a frenzy of fists and slashing kunai. The assailant was swaddled in dark robes with only a sliver of his face peeking through. Given the description in his file, she knew instantly that he was their guy.

As soon as Sakura arrived, she landed a punch and a kick while the man had his back turned, but within seconds, he grabbed her by the ankle and flung her back. The air was sucked out of her as she hit the nearest tree with a thud.

"Sakura!" Kakashi shouted.

As she shook the stars from her vision, she heard a massive blast hurtle through the forest. The rogue nin certainly did live up to his reputation. He was strong. But from years of experience, Sakura knew strong didn't mean unbeatable.

Shakily, she stood to her feet and headed toward the noise. A few yards away, she found Kakashi striking and dodging the rogue nin so swiftly Sakura could barely follow him. After some time, the man finally landed a blow that sent Kakashi skidding backwards, and she took that as her chance to intervene. In a flash, Sakura launched herself at the man and nailed a series of punches that were just enough to wind him. But he was dazed only for a moment before he sent her flying back with a kick to the ribs.

"Ughf!"

Kakashi appeared behind her to brace her fall, and after Sakura steadied herself, they charged the nin together.

As expected, he evaded Sakura and went straight for Kakashi, leaving an opening for Sakura to swipe his legs out from under him.

"Agh!"

With a series of loud crunches, the rogue nin fell through the canopy and landed on the forest floor with a hard thud. Kakashi flashed down after him, and when Sakura joined them, she found the man pinned beneath Kakashi's knee.

"Nice work."

Sakura smiled. "You too."

"Bastard," the rogue nin hissed, his voice muffled by the muddy ground.

Roughly, Kakashi jerked the man's head up.

"What was that?" the copy-nin leered. "You were so busy eating dirt I couldn't hear you."

The rogue nin scoffed.

Curious, Sakura knelt down by the man. After a moment, she reached out to touch the fabric on his face, and he flinched as if her skin was made of ice.

"I wonder what you look like under there," she mused.

He squirmed. "None of your business."

"That ugly, huh." In one motion, she ripped the material from his face and frowned.

The nin looked pretty average for the most part. Brown eyes, long brown hair in a ponytail, slender face. He didn't have as many marks or scars as she would have imagined. However, when he looked up at her she saw a strange flash in his gaze that made her shiver. There was something very strange about it.

She looked at Kakashi. "What now?"

"Well," —he dug into his jonin vest and retrieved a pair of chakra cuffs, which he then snapped onto the man's wrists— "we send word back to Tsunade, and then we take this guy to the daimyo."

Sakura nodded as Kakashi stood and yanked the rogue nin to his feet.

"You two don't know what you're getting yourselves into," he growled. "Let me go before—"

"Not gonna happen," Kakashi cut him off. He turned to Sakura and nodded toward the trees. "If you wanna get the supplies, I'll wait here."

"Sure."

Sakura started to turn away when she heard the rogue nin let out a sharp groan. She looked back in time to get blasted by a blinding pink light that sent her flying back.

"Agh—"

She heard Kakashi grunt in surprise, and before she knew it, they were both laying on the ground.

Dazed, Sakura lifted her head only to feel a swimming sensation ripple through her. It was as if she had been thrust underwater. The trees and foliage around her danced and wiggled, and she found that she couldn't stand.

"K-Kakashi?" she choked.

"Here."

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and then she was gently pulled across the ground. The pair reached a nearby tree trunk and Sakura fell limp against Kakashi. His breath came out in ragged gasps.

"What…what happened?" Sakura managed.

"I'm…not sure," Kakashi muttered. "Some kind of genjutsu I think."

"I feel…weird."

"Me too."

They sat in silence as they tried to regain their composure, but the forest continued to swim, and soon Sakura became aware of a hot, stinging sensation slowly crawling through her body. At first, it almost tickled, and then it began to burn.

"Agh."

Kakashi placed a hand on her shoulder and gripped it a little too tightly. He seemed to be experiencing the same thing.

"We need to…get out of here," Sakura panted. She tried to lean forward but found her muscles too weak to cooperate. "I can barely move."

"Same here."

The burning sensation only intensified as the seconds passed, and soon Sakura felt her chakra begin to ripple in waves, crashing over her with a surprising and gut wrenching power. It was definitely one of the most bizarre sensations she had ever felt.

Kakashi let out a sharp breath. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know," Sakura whimpered.

In that moment, the only thing tethering her to reality was the solid weight of Kakashi's chest against her back.

"Don't…don't worry. We'll find a way…to get out of this," Kakashi replied. She could tell he was having a hard time breathing.

"Kakashi..."

She was scared. She didn't want to admit it, but Kakashi already knew.

"It'll be okay. Just…focus on breaking out of this."

She did as he told her, closing her eyes and slowly inhaling and exhaling. They went silent for a long time, trying to piece themselves back together. Soon, the burning sensation began to dull, and Sakura was almost relieved until it was replaced by something new, something even more unnerving. As Kakashi's breath fell in sync with hers, Sakura could feel his heart pounding in his chest. His chakra radiated even more hotly than her own, singeing her like a fire poker, and she lay paralyzed under its touch. As a medic, she had worked extensively with chakra, had melded her own with her patients' in order to mend bones and heal injuries. She wasn't ignorant of its effects, but this—this was entirely something else.

"Sakura." Kakashi's voice came out in a quiet groan, and something in it sent a dull ache through her.

As if responding to him, Sakura's chakra flared again and Kakashi swore.

"Ah. Fuck."

Sakura bit her lip, knowing the difference between a man cursing in pain and a man cursing in pleasure. She knew what Kakashi was feeling. She felt it too. Breathing hard, she rolled her head back against his shoulder, too weak to hold it up on her own, and his breath puffed hot against her neck.

This time it was Kakashi's chakra that flared, and with it came a rush of tingles down Sakura's spine. It was as if his very essence was penetrating her body, filling every cell with a sensation she could not dare to define.

"Ah, mm," she moaned.

His grip on her shoulder tightened, and she felt the fabric of his mask graze the side of her neck. "You feel that?" he murmured, more as a statement than a question.

She nodded.

"I…I don't know if I can control myself." There was a mix of urgency and fear in his voice that she had never heard before.

"Me either."

Another flare of her chakra against his and Kakashi gripped her waist, breath feathering warmly across her skin. She pressed against him and reveled in the hot crackle of his chakra wrapping around her, marking her, owning her. Kakashi's chakra had always had a strong and intimidating quality to it, but now that power seemed to have been unleashed, and she couldn't deny how deeply it jolted her.

"Sakura…"

"It's okay," she panted. She couldn't control her reactions any more than he could. She wouldn't blame him. She couldn't.

Her chakra rippled again, stronger than the last time, and Kakashi crumpled against her. The hand on her shoulder shifted, and his arm circled her waist.

The sign was clear. He didn't want her to move, didn't want her to shift away. And she didn't want to either.

"Ohh…god."

Kakashi's voice was practically a growl. It sent sweet, warm shivers down Sakura's spine that lapped at her insides like twisting, roaring flames. She could feel something primordial, dark, and masculine coming off him in waves. She found herself powerless to it. Like a mouse caught in a cat's shadow. There was nowhere to go. She couldn't escape it. What before was anxious reluctance had shifted into something more aggressive, more urgent, and she knew Kakashi was quickly succumbing.

"Sakura, I…I need—I'm sorry—"

He couldn't finish his sentence. Before Sakura could even utter a reply, he snaked his hand up her shirt and made quick work of ripping away her bindings. She yelped when she felt the hot roughness of his palm against her breast. Her breath quickened when his fingers pinched urgently at her nipple, and she couldn't help the moan that escaped her lips, high-pitched and ragged. Kakashi let out a groan in response and groped her even more fervently.

Sakura squirmed, not knowing whether to fight against him or sink into the powerful thrill that rushed through her. Her breasts tingled under his touch, and with that came an even more intense sensation rushing through her being. Kakashi seemed to sense it, too, as his other hand slid down her pants, and he moaned at the discovery of her sticky, hot arousal. Sakura let out a whimper, legs twitching as Kakashi insistently rubbed the wet spot between her thighs. His touch was like pure fire melting her into oblivion.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," she gasped.

Every sensation was heightened to an almost unbearable degree. She became too blinded by pleasure to question what was happening. Too desperate to notice that the man doing this to her was her friend, her former sensei, and a man nearly twice her age. All she could focus on was the pleasure. How right it felt. How much she needed it.

While his fingers circled her sensitive heat, Kakashi grabbed Sakura's hand and guided it behind her. Her body thrilled as something hard brushed against her palm, and with little thought, she began massaging it with her hand.

"Ahh," Kakashi groaned, hips bucking softly against her touch. She could feel how turned on he was, how urgently he wanted her. And she realized she wanted him just as badly.

At this point, both of their chakras were flaring madly, battling to gain control of the other. And thus far, neither one of them was winning.

Kakashi lowered his face into her neck, planting hot, wet kisses along her skin that made her body tremble like a tree in a windstorm. It was then that Sakura realized he had pulled his mask down. She only caught a glimpse of his face—smooth and pale and handsome—before he forced his lips against hers, and then his tongue into her mouth. His taste was addictive, sweet, demanding. She responded by flicking her tongue against his like her life depended on it, wanting nothing more than to drown in him, to lose herself in him like a ship caught by the roaring sea. It was all she could focus on, all she could do. In that moment, Kakashi was everything. He was the air in her lungs, the heat on her skin, the energy flowing through her. Everything.

But then, just as quickly as it had materialized, the feeling was shattered—inexplicably—and the pair jolted apart.

Kakashi stilled against her, breath coming out in broken gasps. It took him a moment to find his voice before he managed a choked word. "W—what?"

Sakura glanced up at him and they both quickly realized where their hands were. With a low curse, Kakashi jerked away, yanking his mask back over his face as he did so. Sakura followed suit.

"Were—were we just?" she stammered, scrambling to her feet as she smoothed down her clothes and hair.

"There's no way—we couldn't—I wouldn't—" Kakashi stumbled back, eyes alight with confusion and shock. "Sakura, I wouldn't."

"You did," she countered. "_We _did."

"But…how?"

"I don't know." She shook her head and looked away, too embarrassed and ashamed to meet his gaze. "I think that guy put some sort of…weird crazy sex spell over us."

Kakashi ran a hand through his hair. "Why…?"

"To distract us…keep us occupied while he escaped."

Kakashi went silent for a moment, and Sakura swore she could cut the tension between them with a knife.

"I'm sorry, Sakura. I…I didn't mean—"

"I know."

Another long stretch of silence, and then Kakashi turned away.

"Let's just…forget about this for now, okay? We need to catch that guy."

He didn't wait for her answer before he disappeared into the trees.

All Sakura could do was trail after him, still trying to catch her breath and steady her frazzled nerves. Shock couldn't even begin to describe the feeling that had taken over her. Had she and Kakashi really…? It was too insane a concept to wrap her head around. She didn't even want to think about how they would deal with this once their mission was over, once they had to return home and face everyone and pretend like everything was business-as-usual. Honestly, she kind of hoped they wouldn't have to deal with it at all.

_Just forget about it. Forget._

Sakura repeated those words like a mantra in her head as she followed Kakashi through the forest, as they found and apprehended the rogue nin, and then as they made their long, silent journey home. She just hoped the message would stick.


	2. Chapter 2

When they returned to the village, Sakura had expected an instant wave of relief to wash over her, as if she could somehow put what had happened far behind her now that she had entered the familiar safety of Konoha's walls. But she knew things would probably only get weirder. Kakashi had hardly spoken a word to her all the way home, and now that they were back, she had a feeling the real ice-out would begin. Honestly, she kind of hoped that was the case. Being around Kakashi…felt really weird. He was her friend and she hoped the awkwardness would eventually fade, but at least for a few days, having a little distance from him probably wasn't a bad idea.

With that thought, Sakura mumbled something about needing a shower and started to trudge off, but Kakashi reached out to stop her. She jolted when his hand touched her shoulder, and instantly, it fell back to his side. His expression was unreadable.

"We need to report back to Tsunade."

"Oh…yeah." Sakura forcibly collected herself. "But what are we going to—"

"We won't tell her," Kakashi said. "We'll just say we got caught in a genjutsu and leave it at that. She doesn't need to know the details."

"B-but Kakashi, she's going to ask—"

"Then we'll tell her we don't remember what happened," he snapped.

Sakura went quiet for a moment. "Are you sure she's going to believe that?"

"I'll make sure she does."

"...okay."

She fell back in step beside him.

Kakashi was a pretty difficult person to read, but by the tense motion of his strides, she could tell he was angry. Or at least irritated. And somehow the thought that she was the reason—or at least part of the reason—made her heart sink. She felt she was to blame. If only she had been quicker on her feet, maybe she could have stopped the rogue nin from casting his genjutsu. Then none of this would have happened.

But there was only regret now.

Sakura silently shook herself.

Of course she wasn't to blame. And Kakashi wasn't either. Neither of them had any control over what that ninja had done. Over what _they _had done. Eventually, they would have to accept that and just move on.

"Are you okay?" Kakashi asked when they neared the tower. His voice was quieter than before.

"Yeah," Sakura lied. "I'm fine."

He didn't press the matter, and silently, they entered the building. The sour feeling in Sakura's stomach only worsened as, once they made their way up the winding steps to Tsunade's office, she heard the telltale hum of a very agitated female voice behind the set of doors.

Kakashi sighed, raising a fist to knock on the smooth lacquered surface. "Get ready."

His knuckles barely grazed the door before Tsunade's voice boomed from within.

"Come in!"

Kakashi nudged the door open and stepped aside just in time to avoid a collision with Shizune, who bustled out of the room with a hurried apology. Sakura swallowed as the doors shut behind them and they approached the blond woman sitting behind her desk. She obviously was not in a good mood.

"Hatake. How was it?" Tsunade barked.

Kakashi folded his hands behind his back and straightened his shoulders. Sakura was kind of surprised at how easily he was able to shift roles. She was still shaking like a leaf.

"It was a fairly standard ambush—a few hiccups here and there but we accomplished the task in time."

Tsunade ticked an eyebrow, and this time her eyes slid to Sakura. "Hiccups?"

"Y—yes, Tsunade-sama," Sakura choked out. "We, um…we were caught in a genjutsu for a bit."

"Hm. Genjutsu casting wasn't one of the special skills listed in the target's file."

"R—really?"

Tsunade returned her gaze to Kakashi. "Okay, what happened then?"

"We managed to break the jutsu within a few minutes, tracked the target about a mile westbound, then apprehended him and handed him to the authorities." Kakashi's answer was flat and simple, and Sakura almost hoped they were safe until Tsunade spoke again.

"Tell me about the genjutsu so I can add it to the report."

She picked up a pen and poised it over a piece of paper, ready to record what they shared.

Kakashi and Sakura glanced at each other, sharing a moment of pure anxiety before Sakura spoke up.

"Um…that's the thing, Shishou. We don't actually—"

"We don't remember," Kakashi finished for her.

Tsunade dropped the pen. "What do you mean you don't remember?"

"We can't recall the genjutsu's effects," Kakashi continued. "I think the rogue nin made it that way so we wouldn't be able to replicate it"

Tsunade went silent for a moment. "I see."

Sakura fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Well, uh…yeah, that's about it," Kakashi went on, clearly wanting to leave.

Tsunade flicked her hand. "Alright. Go."

Both he and Sakura turned toward the door before Tsunade spoke again.

"Not you, Sakura. Stay for a moment."

Sakura stopped, and Kakashi flashed her a wary look before disappearing into the hallway. For a few minutes, Tsunade took her time leafing through papers and stamping various documents as she drank from the sake bottle on her desk. If Sakura hadn't known any better, she would have thought the woman was angry with her.

Then Tsunade stopped and looked up.

"Is there something going on between you and Kakashi?"

Sakura nearly choked. "What? No. Why—?"

"You think I'm stupid? Something happened on that mission—something Kakashi isn't telling me. Something _you're _not telling me."

Sakura swore sometimes Tsunade was a psychic.

She cleared her throat. "It was the genjutsu."

"Oh?" Tsunade pressed.

"It—it was just really disorienting, Tsunade-sama. I'd really rather not talk about it."

Tsunade stared at her for a long, tense moment, then sighed. "Alright then."

"Shishou."

"Yes?"

"What was that rogue nin wanted for anyway?"

Tsunade leaned back in her chair and sighed. "That is confidential. And by confidential, I mean I wasn't even given that information. The daimyo is keeping this case under tight wraps."

Sakura went silent.

"Why do you want to know?"

She shrugged. "Just curious, I guess."

Tsunade eyed her for a moment before nodding toward the door. "Go get some rest. You earned it."

"Yes, Shishou."

Sakura bowed and slipped out of the room. She tried not to relive the awkward conversation on her way home, but she couldn't stop the feelings of shame and resentment that were swirling around in her gut like a whirlpool. She had wanted to tell Tsunade the truth—she really had—but a part of her was also glad she hadn't. It was for the best, after all. Wasn't it?

Turning the corner, she ran right into the man who was the source of her stress. Apparently, he had been waiting for her.

"What was that about?"

Sakura walked right past him. "Nothing."

"Don't lie to me, Sakura," he said, trailing after her.

"It really was nothing, Kakashi. Tsunade noticed I was upset and asked if I was okay. That's it."

Well, that was sort of the truth. She wasn't about to let Kakashi know Tsunade had noticed he hadn't told her the full story.

"That's it?" He muttered, unconvinced.

"Yes."

"You didn't tell her—?"

Sakura twisted on her heel. "Ugh, kami. The mission is over. Just let it be, okay? I don't want to think about it anymore."

Kakashi fell silent as Sakura turned her back on him and kept walking. Soon, she realized he was no longer following her. The walk home felt like forever, and when she finally passed her threshold, she basked in the much-needed privacy that she had been robbed of for the past few days. She made a beeline for the bathroom and drew a hot bath to soak her sore muscles. More than anything, she needed to wash away all the terrible feelings that had culminated since returning from the mission.

Sakura didn't spend as long as she had wanted in the bath, as soon the exhaustion of being on her feet for days rushed to the surface. Ready to lay down, she drained the tub and dried off, then headed to her bedroom.

Once Sakura's head hit the pillow, she felt her stress begin to slip away like melting snow, pushing her inch by inch into a warm, peaceful, and much-needed respite from all the chaos of the waking world. Eventually, she managed to fall asleep.

She didn't wake up again for several hours, but when she did, she immediately knew something was wrong.

She blinked a few times to realize her room was illuminated in a dull red light. She sat up, searching for its source but finding nothing. There wasn't a fire outside. No heat in the air. In fact, she was shivering.

Throwing the covers off, she slipped out of bed and moved toward the window. Maybe there was a broken street light or frayed electrical wire. However, the red light followed her like a cloak, and she realized with a start that it seemed to be a haze over her own vision.

"What the f—"

She didn't have time to finish her thought as a wispy black shape streaked through her periphery. Whipping around, Sakura watched it fly out the door, and before she could even think about what she was doing, she ran after it. There was something inside her that made her think, whatever it was, it was dangerous, and she needed to catch it.

Heart racing, Sakura hurtled through her apartment and down the front steps of the complex as the shape fluttered several feet ahead of her. She thought she saw a pair of horns as it flashed under a street lamp, but she wasn't sure. It moved so fast.

She trailed it down several dark alleys and tight corners, never losing sight of its willowy black form. The red haze over her vision only intensified as her pulse pounded in her temples. The urgency flooding her veins told her she couldn't entertain any thought of letting the thing go. Something inside her desperately wanted to destroy it. She didn't know why. She didn't care.

Rounding a corner, Sakura skidded into a dead end.

"Damn."

She almost thought she had lost her target until she saw a flash in the corner of her eye. The red veil almost swallowed everything as she turned on her heel and lunged with her fist clenched. There was a sharp grunt as the figure dodged out of her way, and the wall behind it crumbled under her attack. Abruptly, Sakura was thrown back by a pair of hands.

She looked up to see a familiar tuft of spiky hair.

Kakashi.

His eyes were glowing red, and the shadowy form she had seen before flickered like a screen over his body. In that instant, she couldn't distinguish between the two.

And then she was attacking him again.

The sudden crackle and flash of chidori told Sakura that Kakashi—or the _thing _pretending to be Kakashi—was just as serious as she was. She jumped back as he tried to strike her in the ribs and quickly climbed one of the walls that encased them. He easily jumped up after her, and thus began a long pursuit through the village until Sakura had gathered enough chakra to break the seal on her forehead.

She whipped around and caught Kakashi with a kick to his torso, sending him flying back into a stone wall. With a sharp crack, the wall splintered and a shower of debris covered the street below. Kakashi slouched against the wall, winded, but as Sakura ran toward him he quickly recovered and flash stepped behind her, pulsing a flare of chakra into her back that sent her hurtling to the ground.

"Agh!"

The smell of burnt fabric and skin drifted to her nostrils as a stinging pain spread from the spot where he had struck her. She rolled over in time to avoid the crackling fist that bore down toward her head, and instead, she caught his arm and flung him away. With a grunt, Kakashi's body flew in a backwards arc, crashing into an electrical pole and sending sparks into the air. Sakura flashed after him with the intent to finish their fight, but in a matter of seconds, he disappeared from her sight.

At this point, Sakura was seething with an indescribable rage. She turned in circles, eyeing her surroundings, but she wasn't fast enough to catch the flash of a figure coming toward her. It was only when a burst of blue lightning exploded in her periphery that she realized where her opponent was. Her body wrenched back, but she wasn't fast enough to avoid an excruciating blow to her torso. Tumbling to the ground, Sakura let out an agonized scream, gripping her side, where bits of singed fabric clung to her bloodied skin. It was a pain unlike any other.

Through bleary eyes, Sakura watched Kakashi's silhouette stalk toward her, hand still engulfed in the white-blue blaze of chidori, its high-pitched crackle piercing her ears. She fought to catch her breath, to get back on her feet, but her struggles were effortless. She felt a thick, hazy blackness closing in, and she knew the injury she had sustained was quickly causing her to bleed out. Urgently, she flooded it with healing chakra, but the damage was too much. She could feel it.

"Shit." She choked out a breathy curse as the monster that looked like Kakashi loomed over her. He raised his fist and—

"Oomf!"

A streak of bright orange fabric and a crop of blond hair flashed through Sakura's failing vision, like a dart through the air, and then Kakashi's figure was gone.

Gasping in pain, Sakura fell onto the blood-soaked cement and listened to the sound of a struggle somewhere in the shadows. She saw flashes of light, heard the crackle of chakra, and then there were people shouting. Familiar voices. Naruto. Genma. Shikamaru. It took her a few seconds to realize other ninja had arrived, and then, like a rippling, abysmal wave, the blackness swallowed her whole.

* * *

Sakura awoke to the sound of coughing, ragged and fitful and horrific, the kind of coughing she heard when her patients returned from A level missions with gaping holes in their chests and blood in their lungs. It was a very familiar sound, albeit unpleasant, but she had heard it enough not to be affected by it. It was only when she felt the warmth of a hand gripping hers, steadying her as her body trembled and shook, that she realized the sound was coming from her own mouth, her own throat, her own damaged lungs. And that was when it really started to bother her. Instantly, Sakura's eyes snapped open.

She was in the hospital. Naruto was beside her, and Ino beside him. Their eyes alighted when she looked at them, and then through the muffled, cottony haze of her recovering consciousness, she heard them frantically call for a nurse.

A short woman Sakura recognized as a medic in training entered the room. She could tell by the woman's reaction to her that she probably was not supposed to be awake yet. She was thoroughly surveyed, had her bandages checked, told against her will not to sit up or strain herself, and then after several minutes of poking and prodding, was finally left alone with her friends.

When Sakura forced herself to speak, it felt like a cluster of cactus prickles were stabbing at her throat. Kinda sounded like it, too.

"W—what?"

"Shh, it's okay now," Ino soothed, pressing a hand to her back. "No one's going to hurt you."

Sakura glared at her. Why was Ino talking to her like she was a four-year-old? She was a ninja, for kami's sake. Surely, she of all people could—

Her thoughts stopped abruptly as a memory flashed through her brain—of Kakashi hurling toward her with his chidori, eyes ablaze with the intent to kill.

Her expression must have reflected the sudden realization, as Naruto squeezed her hand a little tighter.

"He's in holding right now. Ibiki is interrogating him."

"Ibiki?"

It took a moment for Sakura to register the name, and then, with a sudden burst of urgency, she threw the covers off and swung her legs over the edge of the hospital bed.

"No, this isn't right! You can't—!"

"Whoa, Sakura, calm down."

Naruto and Ino rushed forward and grabbed her arms.

"Don't move, Sakura. You're going to hurt yourself," Ino urged.

Sakura panted, stars flooding her vision. She could hear the frantic beep of her pulse on the heart monitor, and for some reason, the sound made her want to throw up.

"You can't—it's not Kakashi's fault," she choked.

"Sakura, stop. Just calm down. We can talk this out, okay?" Naruto said, firmly coaxing her back into bed as Ino folded the sheets back over her.

"You guys, please," Sakura begged. She was so dizzy she felt like the room had flipped upside down. Pain lanced through her body, and yet in that moment, her only concern was for the very man who had hurt her.

"Sakura."

A new voice entered the room, and she looked up to see Tsunade approaching them.

"Naruto, Ino, could you leave us for a moment?"

The two blonds exchanged a look and then silently exited the room. As soon as they were gone, Sakura sat up.

"Tsunade, please don't—"

"Kakashi isn't being punished," Tsunade cut her off, "...for now."

The woman sat down in a chair beside the bed, propping her elbows on the arms and folding her hands against her mouth. She stared at Sakura, both concern and anger swirling in her amber gaze.

"Tell me what happened."

Sakura sucked in a deep breath and winced.

"Kakashi…that wasn't Kakashi that attacked me. It was a monster."

"Hm." Tsunade ticked her head to the side. "He said the same thing about you."

Sakura blinked. "What?"

"Kakashi claims you followed him into an ally and started attacking him. He said your eyes were red and your chakra wasn't recognizable. He thought it was some sort of demon using your form."

As Tsunade spoke, Sakura felt a shiver run down her spine. "That's…exactly how I saw Kakashi."

Tsunade slowly leaned back. "Well, it seems there's more going on here than we thought."

"What—what are we going to do?" Sakura asked.

Tsunade sighed, and with the silence that followed, Sakura felt a growing sense of dread. Something was definitely wrong with Kakashi, and with her, and she had the nagging feeling it was related to whatever the rogue nin had done to them in the forest. Apparently, there was more to that genjutsu than they had first assumed. A lot more. And the most frightening thing of all was that it still seemed to be affecting them long after the man's arrest, long after they had left the forest.

What exactly had that man done to them? And how?

"I'm going to heal you up," Tsunade said finally, drawing Sakura's attention back to her as she straightened in her chair, "and then we're going to have a little chat with that bastard Hatake. We need to get to the bottom of this."


	3. Chapter 3

When Tsunade and Sakura walked into the interrogation room, they found Kakashi slouched at a metal table, looking agitated and restless. His expression shifted when he saw Sakura standing in the doorway, eyes flicking over the bandages that swaddled her body, and then he looked sharply at the bodyguard posted in the corner of the room.

"Chain me up."

"Kakashi." Tsunade stepped forward, but he kept his attention on the guard.

"Do it," he barked.

The man glanced at Tsunade, who silently nodded, and then Kakashi was chained to the table. Sakura looked on in astonishment as she realized he was afraid he would hurt her again.

"Why did you bring her here?" Kakashi muttered after a long stretch of silence. He refused to look at Sakura.

Tsunade pulled up a chair across from him. "She came of her own will."

"It isn't safe. _I'm _not—" Kakashi sighed, cutting himself off.

Sakura lingered near the doorway, staring at him. He was a wreck. Dark purple circles under his eyes, silver hair matted in clumps that sprang from his scalp like tangled weeds, skin so pale it looked almost translucent. He was also covered in a myriad of scratches and marks.

Had _she _actually done that to him?

"I'm sorry, Kakashi."

The words sprang from her mouth before she could stop them.

A beat, and then he forced himself to look at her. "Don't you ever apologize to me. I don't deserve that."

"But—"

His fist hit the table, causing the chains to rattle harshly. Sakura jumped.

"Don't."

Tsunade sighed. "Well, now that that's out of the way, let's get down to business."

Kakashi scoffed in bitter amusement. He shifted back in his seat, and the harsh fluorescent lights bore down on his face, making him look almost ghostly. Sakura hardly recognized him.

"There is nothing to discuss."

Tsunade frowned, waiting for him to continue.

"I tried to kill Sakura," he stated flatly. "Anyone else would have been put to death by now."

"Are you saying you deserve that?"

Kakashi didn't answer.

"It wasn't your fault," Sakura cut in. She moved closer to the table, and Kakashi shrank back. "There's no way you can believe it's your fault."

He stared at the floor for a moment before forcing himself to meet her gaze. It was only for a second before he looked away again.

"I've had some time to think…" he mumbled. "After the mission…do you know how guilty I was about—about what I did?"

"Kakashi, I do understand," Sakura insisted. "It messed me up, too."

"Maybe the guilt got to me," he went on, voice lower.

"No." Sakura closed the distance between them and planted her hands on the table. "That wasn't you, Kakashi. You're not going insane, if that's what you're suggesting."

He lifted his eyes again, warily searching her face. He was hesitant to believe her and she understood why. Their fight was unexplainable.

"Hold on, can we back up a moment?" Tsunade intervened. "What were you saying earlier, Kakashi? Did something else happen with Sakura before you came back to the village?"

Kakashi let out a sigh. "You want to tell her?"

He didn't look at Sakura when he said it, but she knew he had directed the question at her.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "Tell me what?"

_Oh, crap. _

Sakura's pulse jumped as she slowly sat down beside her mentor, as if any sudden movement would make her snap like an angry alligator. She took a deep breath, and suddenly, the room felt like it was spinning.

"Shishou…you were right. There is something we left out about the mission."

A wariness began to creep into the woman's eyes. "What is it?"

"That genjutsu…it made us do things."

Tsunade arched an eyebrow. "Things?"

Sakura cleared her throat and lowered her gaze to her lap, a rush of warmth flooding her face. She could feel both Tsunade and Kakashi staring at her, waiting for her to elaborate.

"…_ things _…"

Sakura gestured emphatically, and after a pause, Tsunade seemed to understand. She sat back in stunned silence, lips pursed. And then, like lightning, she snapped across the table and yanked Kakashi up by the collar of his shirt. He didn't fight her.

"You perverted, piece of trash, pigheaded, little—"

Quickly, Sakura grabbed Tsunade's arm. "Shishou, please! We couldn't control it. Kakashi didn't do anything wrong."

Tsunade glared into Kakashi's face, holding him captive for a moment longer before roughly pushing him back into his chair. The chains clattered loudly with him.

"A sex spell. You were put under a sex spell." She said it aloud as if it would make any more sense. Then she shook her head. "I don't understand."

"We can't really be sure it was a…a sex spell," Sakura interjected awkwardly. "We did experience some—uh—erotic feelings, but then just last night we tried to kill each other. I think both states were side effects of something else. Something we don't understand."

Grunting, Tsunade leaned back and knit her fingers together, probably to keep herself from strangling Kakashi. "Do you think it will wear off anytime soon?"

"I don't know."

"We need more information." With a long sigh, Tsunade rose to her feet. "I'm going to send a letter to the daimyo's council and request a thorough report on the criminal you two apprehended. Maybe that will shed some light on this."

Quietly, Sakura stood and went after her, but before stepping out the door, she turned to glance at Kakashi. His expression was empty, as if he were lost in thought, slouched over and very obviously miserable. Their eyes met briefly before Sakura turned away and followed Tsunade into the corridor.

She would make things right again. She had to…for Kakashi's sake.

* * *

Two weeks passed before Tsunade received a response from the daimyo's delegation. The message was brief, however formal, in its refusal to indulge further information on the rogue nin Sakura and Kakashi had encountered in the Land of Rivers. Sakura had expected as much, yet she couldn't deny the weight of disappointment that settled like a stone in the bottom of her stomach. Fortunately, there hadn't been any other occurrences since she and Kakashi had fought, but that was probably more for the fact that since his release, he had accepted a mission that would take him as far away from the village, and Sakura, as possible. He was to stay in the Land of Iron for a month, but Sakura had a hard time believing he would return at all.

She was angry with him. Angry that he had practically abandoned her—left to dwell over their little problem on her own. Angry that he was so quick to avoid her, even after the years of friendship and heartache and struggle they had endured. Did she really mean that little to him? Did he really not care about her own feelings and what _she _wanted?

It wasn't that his actions necessarily surprised her. If anything, it fell exactly in line with the kind of things she would expect from Kakashi. And that was what disappointed her the most. He didn't even care enough to fight his more selfish instincts. His first decision had been to cut and run, to hide from her until the situation magically blew over, and that by itself almost made Sakura want him to stay away for good.

_Chink! Chink! _

A sudden tap on her window drew Sakura from her sullen thoughts, and she moved to draw the curtains away. Through the glass, Naruto's smiling blue eyes stared back at her.

Warily, Sakura unlatched the window.

"Hey, Sakura-chan," he chirped, shoving a warm paper bag into her hands. "I figured I'd come see if you were still moping around your apartment. I brought ramen."

Sakura would have smacked Naruto if it weren't for the heavenly aroma that wafted into her nose. Her stomach rumbled as she realized the only thing she had eaten that day was a granola bar and two sticks of jerky.

"Thanks."

Quietly, she dragged a fold out table from her closet and placed it in the center of her bedroom floor, then arranged the food. Naruto plopped down across from her and snapped open a pair of chopsticks.

"Everyone knows salty, greasy noodles are the perfect cure for depression."

Sakura clicked her tongue. "I'm not depressed."

"Kinda seems like it. Nobody's seen you for days."

"That's because I'm afraid I'm gonna go full-on demon mode any second."

Naruto shoved a heap of food into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "Good point."

"I'm also pissed at Kakashi."

Naruto shrugged. "Kakashi's Kakashi. Can't expect much else from him."

"I know."

Sakura snapped open her chopsticks and scooped up a bite of noodles. Instantly, the savory flavors of Ichiraku began to soften her mood, and she realized it had been a while since she had taken the time to enjoy something so simple.

"See?" Naruto beamed, pointing his chopsticks at her. "Food is medicine."

Sakura sniffed in amusement.

"Hey, forget about Kakashi-bastard. Honestly, the best thing he coulda done was leave town. I mean, after what he did to you, Sakura—"

"He didn't do that. It wasn't him."

"Still," —Naruto lowered his chopsticks and stared pointedly at her— "you almost got chidori'd, and the only person Kakashi has to blame is himself."

Sakura sighed in weary acknowledgement, and they continued eating in silence. Once they were finished, Sakura cleaned up the empty food cartons, and then she and Naruto sat against the front of her bed to watch TV. There was nothing particularly good on—just standard daytime drama's with half-baked plotlines—but it was a good distraction from her thoughts. Sakura had definitely been thinking way too much.

"You okay?" Naruto asked after a while.

Sakura didn't know. She really wasn't sure. Instead of answering, she placed her head against his shoulder, and he squeezed her tight.

"By the way, I never got around to thanking you for helping me out the other night," she mumbled into his jacket.

"I was there too, ya know," another voice interjected.

They both looked up to see Sai leaning against the doorway.

"Well, I probably didn't realize it because you're so freakishly quiet," Sakura retorted. She wasn't even going to ask how he got into her apartment. Being ex-Anbu, he knew his way around all varieties of locks and seals, but it was beyond Sakura why he hadn't just knocked on the front door. Well, maybe he had, and they just hadn't heard him. Again, he was freakishly quiet.

Wordlessly, Sai crossed the room and sat beside her, awkwardly patting her head as if it were any way to properly console a person. Still, Sakura appreciated the effort.

"I'm glad I have you guys."

Sai sat stock-still as she wrapped her arms around his midsection and squeezed the life out of him.

They spent the rest of the afternoon talking, lazing around, and watching movies. It was the kind of leisure time that Sakura hadn't realized she'd been missing lately. If only a little, it helped to lift her spirits for the first time in weeks, like a bright sunrise after endless rain, and her only hope was that it would last long enough to make recent events seem just a bit less awful. But she wasn't sure she could hope for that much.

When the sun began to fall, basking Sakura's room in long shadows, Naruto and Sai decided to head home. This time, Sai attempted a half hug before he left, which Sakura warmly accepted. Naruto stayed behind.

Scratching the back of his neck, the blond leaned against the door frame and stared down at her. For the first time that evening, she could see an inkling of worry in his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

Naruto shrugged, then kicked the threshold with the toe of his sandal. "I wasn't going to tell you."

"Tell me what?" Something in his tone had Sakura's stomach twisting into knots.

"It's about Kakashi."

"Yeah?"

"I have a strong feeling he isn't really in the Land of Iron. And by 'strong feeling,' I mean I'm like ninety-nine percent sure."

Sakura blinked. "Why do you say that?"

"I overheard some guards talking at Tsunade's."

"And?"

Naruto sighed. "Look, if I tell you, you gotta promise you won't blow up at Tsunade."

"I promise. Now what did you hear?"

"I think Kakashi's in trouble. The guards said something about him trying to infiltrate the palace archives. Word came in this morning that he may have been caught."

Sakura turned dead cold. "A—are you sure?"

"Like I said, ninety-nine percent."

Before Naruto could say anything else, Sakura stepped out into the cool night air and made a straight shot for the main road. Naruto went stumbling after her.

"Sakura, you promised—"

"I lied."

"Ah, come on. That old lady's gonna kick my ass if she finds out I told you."

"Naruto, there are far greater issues than the state of your ass right now."

"Sakuraaaa!"

Naruto begged and pleaded with her to turn back all the way to Hokage Tower, but Sakura ignored him until they reached Tsunade's office. Without any thought, she pushed the doors open and stomped inside.

A surprised Tsunade glanced up from her desk, and Shizune gave Sakura a once-over.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"You lied to me," Sakura snapped at her mentor, ignoring the other woman's question.

Tsunade merely leaned back in her seat. "Oh?"

"I'm sorry, Aunt Tsuna," Naruto interjected from the doorway. "I should've kept my big trap shut."

"What are you two going on about?"

"Kakashi. You knew where he was this entire time, and you didn't tell me."

Tsunade's expression shifted at that, and she gave Naruto a short glare before returning her gaze to Sakura. "It was for your own good."

"My own good?" Sakura repeated, incredulous.

Tsunade sighed. "I knew you would feel an obligation to go with him. I wouldn't have allowed it."

"I have just as much a right to investigate this as he does," Sakura countered.

"You're still injured. You would have slowed him down."

Sakura opened her mouth to protest, but Tsunade continued.

"And you probably would have either fucked or murdered each other on the way there, neither of which would have brought great prospects to the matter at hand."

As Sakura's face reddened, Naruto moved closer to Tsunade's desk. "I'm sorry, did you just say fu—?"

"Kakashi and I knew what the best course of action would be, and we took it," Tsunade continued, unabated. "Besides, I sent him some Anbu reinforcements. He isn't alone."

"And yet he still managed to get caught."

"That hasn't been confirmed."

Sakura scowled at the woman, anger flaring in her chest like wildfire. Betrayal didn't even begin to touch what she felt in that moment. "I can't believe you and Kakashi could justify leaving me in the dark like that."

"No one's being left in the dark," Tsunade snapped, and Sakura knew if she were any other person, she would have been tossed across the room by now. "I'm already risking enough by sending my own men to steal government records, Sakura. I could get arrested for something like this. Kakashi, as well. We're doing this for _you. _"

Sakura fell silent, blood rushing to her ears. A sea of emotions flooded her system so fast she could barely keep up, but the one constant that remained was the sense that no matter what, Tsunade would not accept the fact that she was a fully capable adult and ninja. Somehow, she was still being treated like a genin.

Finally, Sakura let out a bitter snort. "For me? Tsunade, have you ever considered that at some point I'd like to help myself? I'm not a child anymore. If you're going to make decisions that affect me, I deserve to be consulted about them. Not lied to."

Tsunade went quiet for a moment. Beside her, Shizune seemed to be calculating whether to quietly slip out of the room or stay as a mediator in case tempers flared out of control. She seemed to go with the latter as Tsunade let out a tense sigh.

"You may be an adult, and you may be a capable ninja…but there are still things you have yet to learn."

"Like what?" Sakura replied.

"Like guilt," Tsunade answered simply. "The kind of guilt Kakashi carries with him now. It's something he has to work through on his own, and this is how he's chosen to do it. Sakura, let him bring the reports back. We'll figure out what's happened to you two and then things will be able to return to normal."

In that moment, Sakura felt the warmth of Naruto's hand on her shoulder, and though it should have served as a comforting presence, she could only think he was trying to sedate her like a parent to a tantruming child.

"Tsunade's right," he murmured. "I don't know the full story about what happened to you and Kakashi, but if he feels he has an obligation to sort this out by himself, you should let him. He knows what he's doing."

Sakura nudged Naruto away and kept her eyes pinned to Tsunade. "I can understand that… but you didn't even give me a choice. Neither you nor Kakashi. I don't know if that's something I can forgive."

With that, she turned on her heel and stalked out of the office, leaving the three to stare wordlessly after her.

As soon as darkness fell over the village, Sakura made quick work of packing a sack of weapons and supplies, throwing on her ninja gear, and slipping out of her bedroom window. She flashed silently and carefully from rooftop to rooftop until she reached the forest, where she traveled in weaving, untraceable patterns through the trees, pausing every now and then to make sure no one was following her. Once satisfied that she was completely alone, she headed for the border.

Sakura's chest flooded with resolve as she bounded swiftly through the treetops. For once, she was taking matters into her own hands. _She _was making her own choices, and _she_ was going to decide the outcome. Whether Tsunade and Kakashi liked it or not.


	4. Chapter 4

A night's travel brought Sakura three villages west of Konoha. She had decided the best course to take was one which Tsunade wouldn't think to search. She would start heading south and then east, moving in a small circumvention around the usual path that directed travelers to the capital city. Ironically, if there was anything Sakura had learned from following Kakashi around the past few months, it was how not to be found.

With a sigh, Sakura rolled up her map and returned it to her knapsack. She had found a nice oak tree to rest in for a few hours, though her sleep had been broken and fitful and she hadn't woken up until midday. After a quick breakfast of granola and rice cakes, she continued on her journey.

The following hours spent bounding through the trees seemed to pass in a blur as Sakura's mind wandered over the events that had led her to this point. She still couldn't believe Kakashi and Tsunade had arranged a plan behind her back, and one that was pretty absurd at that. Breaking into the daimyo's palace, the most fortified building in the entire nation? It was practically a suicide mission.

To further inflame the situation, she knew they wouldn't have taken her feelings into account even if she had been able to consult with them. Sakura was beyond disappointed. When were they going to see her for who she truly was? How many wars would she have to fight, how many lives would she have to save—or take—until they realized she was not a kid anymore? For kami's sake, she practically ran Konoha Hospital. She could perform surgeries and extract poisons and amputate limbs without batting an eye. Both Tsunade and Kakashi knew this, and yet…

Sakura felt her face flush with anger as she slowed to a halt. She couldn't bear to think of them anymore.

In the near distance, she spotted a settlement and realized she had reached her next checkpoint. Relieved, she jumped down to the forest floor and continued on foot until she reached the village gates. Sakura was well recognized in this part of the country, which meant someone could easily report her whereabouts to Tsunade if they saw her, so she engaged a cloaking jutsu before she entered the town.

She had visited a couple times before on past missions. It wasn't much more than a tiny blot on the map, but it had a likeable atmosphere. There were plenty of merchants and shops along the main road, which meant Sakura would be able to blend in. She stopped at the town center to stock up on some supplies she had forgotten to pack, and then she went quickly on her way. She made it to the south end of the village when a tingling on the nape of her neck stopped her in her tracks. She whipped around just in time to grab the cloaked figure who was approaching her and tossed him into an empty barrel on the side of the road. He smashed into it with a sharp grunt, and before he could get up, she had her hands on his collar, her fist poised to hit him. Then she realized who he was.

"Naruto?" she exclaimed. "What the hell?!"

"Hey, Sakura-chan."

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Uh, yeah…well, following you I guess. By the way, you look great as a brunette."

Sighing sharply, Sakura dragged her friend into an alley and dropped her identity cloak.

"Tsunade sent you after me."

Naruto scratched his head. "Well, actually, I offered to go."

"Me too," another voice added, and Sakura turned to see Sai approaching. He wore the same black shroud as Naruto.

"How noble," Sakura scoffed.

"It's not what you think," Naruto went on.

"Oh, yeah? Cause I think this is you guys butting in on something that isn't your business."

Sai stood next to Naruto and gave Sakura a pointed look. "If it involves you, it is our business."

"Well, I'm not going back to Konoha. Not until I find Kakashi."

Sakura started to turn away when Naruto spoke again.

"We're going to help you."

She turned back. "What?"

"Tsunade sent us to go along with you. Not to bring you back," Sai explained.

"Why?"

"Because she knew you would cause trouble if we tried."

Sakura couldn't help but smirk. "She knows me well."

"Sakura-chan," —Naruto stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder— "let us come with you."

"Naruto…"

"Please. You haven't been yourself since you came back from that mission with Kakashi. I don't know what happened, and I'm not sure I really want to, but I do know that you're both my friends, and I want to be there for you no matter what."

Sakura eyed Naruto and Sai for a long time. Then she sighed.

"Fine, but you better not get in my way."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

Grinning, Naruto gave Sai a celebratory pat on the back, and then the three left town together.

Sakura had to admit she felt pressed for time—Kakashi had already been gone two weeks, and she had no idea what he was doing or where he really was. She barely allowed them any breaks and kept the pace very brisk, which, of course, Naruto whined about the entire way.

In the afternoon, they finally found the main path to the city. Sakura kept to herself for the most part. She didn't feel particularly pleased that Tsunade had sent Naruto and Sai after her, but she at least appreciated that they were respecting her decision to find Kakashi. Still, her thoughts were racing and most of them she knew were impossible to share with her friends. They just wouldn't understand.

"So, uh, how exactly are you planning to find Kakashi?" Naruto spoke up after a while.

"I don't know," Sakura admitted. "First thing we have to do when we get to the capital is find out if he was arrested. If he wasn't, then we're going to have to find some sort of trail to him."

"That isn't gonna be easy."

"I wonder if he found further information on the rogue nin," Sai remarked.

Sakura tugged on her knapsack. "I'm not sure. The daimyo's palace is one of the most heavily guarded buildings in the world. It makes sense that Kakashi's been gone so long. It's not really the kind of place you just blindly walk into."

"It is also very likely that the daimyo's records are sealed in a vault," Sai added.

Sakura nodded grimly.

"So, why did Aunt Tsuna go through the formality of sending a request to the daimyo if she was just going to have Kakashi go down there anyway?" Naruto asked.

"She probably felt pretty useless just sitting around and waiting for help," Sakura replied. "She and Kakashi both."

_And yet they had no problem putting me through that, _she added silently.

"Man, it would really suck if Kakashi's being tortured right now," Naruto hummed.

Sakura glared at him. "Don't even say that, Naruto."

"Sorry."

They walked on in silence for a moment.

"And then there's the matter of what will happen if we actually _do _find him," Sakura muttered.

Naruto looked at her.

"The crazy red eye thing?" she went on. "There's still a possibility we'll try to kill each other."

_Or do other things… _she thought silently to herself. Either way, they were screwed. Literally.

"Then we'll just have to solve the problem as quickly as we can," Naruto said.

"And we'll be here to restrain you both, if necessary," Sai added.

"True…"

Suddenly, Sakura became a little less annoyed that they were with her.

They walked on until sunset when they reached a small village a few miles north of the capital. It was a town Sakura didn't recognize, one so insignificant that no one had even bothered to put it on the map. Despite Sakura's determination to keep walking, Naruto tried to persuade her to stop at an inn before it got dark, and eventually, her aching feet won out on the decision.

When they entered the town, one thing immediately stuck out to Sakura. It was extremely quiet—even for a small village. Not a soul walked the streets, and, somehow, the air seemed warmer, almost thicker.

"Think they have an early bedtime?" Naruto murmured.

Sakura didn't answer as they walked down the main road, a skinny stretch of dirt lined on either side by short, rust-colored buildings. She spotted a sign that spelled _INN _in peeling white letters and pointed at it.

"Come on. Let's see if they're taking guests."

Sai glanced around at the dilapidated buildings. "It seems a bit…"

"Like a freaky slasher ghost town?" Naruto finished for him.

"I was going to say run-down, but yes."

"They're probably just poor," Sakura cut in.

"And who would 'they' be?" Naruto countered. "So far, I haven't even seen anyone."

Silently, Sakura wondered if they really _had _stumbled upon a ghost town, until they walked through the crickety front door of the inn and were greeted by a wiry old man.

"Good evening," he said, and Sakura guessed that under his thick silver beard he was smiling. "What a surprise. It's not often that we receive visitors."

"You don't say," Naruto mumbled, and Sakura jabbed him with her elbow.

"Could we get a room, please?" she asked.

The man glanced dubiously at Naruto and Sai, and Sakura could practically read what was going through his mind.

"They're my brothers," Sakura lied, though it wasn't far from the truth.

"I see." Not quite seeming to believe her, the man gestured toward the front desk. "Right this way."

Once the three were checked in and given a key, they made a beeline for their room, though when Sakura threatened to beat the living crap out of them if she didn't get the shower first, Naruto and Sai (smartly) backed off. The space was a bit on the decrepit side, unsurprisingly, but Sakura completely forgot herself once she had a stream of hot water trickling over her sore muscles. If she were being honest, she was surprised the town had running water at all, let alone hot running water. She enjoyed her shower for as long as she could, then toweled off and put on a fresh set of clothes. She was about to leave the bathroom when something caught her eye.

Crouching down, she grabbed what looked like a small piece of paper that had been shoved in a crack in the wall. If she weren't a ninja, she probably would have missed it, since it blended in so well with the bathroom's shabby wallpaper. She uncrumpled it and stared in confusion at an image, scribbled in faded ink, on the inside.

A black cat.

Sakura couldn't make much out of the note, but she folded it back up and slipped it into her pocket anyway. For some reason, she had a very strange feeling that someone had left it for her to find. But what did it mean?

She decided not to tell Naruto or Sai, figuring she'd seem crazy making something over nothing. They probably wouldn't have thought anything of it anyway.

The three rationed out some food and ate at a dingy table by the window. Naruto kept making cracks about horror movies and how he'd probably be the first to go if the town really were haunted, since, in his words, 'the comedic relief character' was always the first to go. Sai kept glancing warily around the room as if he really were seeing ghosts. And Sakura couldn't help but finger at the scrap of paper in her pocket, wondering where it had come from.

Suddenly, a knock on the door interrupted Naruto's ramblings, and Sakura went to answer it.

A woman with long black hair and dark eyes stood in the hallway, holding a stack of folded towels.

"Hi, my name is Yui," she said. "I thought you might need more towels."

"Uh, thanks." Sakura accepted the pile and then eyed the woman. "You work here?"

"Yes. My father owns the inn."

"The man with the beard?"

Yui nodded, and Sakura couldn't help but notice her smile seemed a bit too tight. Then a thought struck her, and she reached for the paper in her pocket.

"You wouldn't happen to be the one who put this—"

"I'm sorry," the woman cut her off. "I must go now. Please call for me if you need anything else."

With that, she turned on her heel and disappeared down the hallway.

Slowly, Sakura shut the door and turned back to Naruto and Sai.

"That was weird."

Naruto leaned back in his chair to prop his feet on the table. "Yeah, it looked like she saw a—"

"I swear if you say 'ghost' I'm going to sew your lips shut."

Naruto went quiet.

"Good." Sakura returned to the table and continued picking at her food.

"Sakura."

She looked at Sai. "Yeah?"

"That woman seemed to be in distress."

"I know."

Naruto dropped his feet and looked at Sakura. "What were you trying to ask her?"

She sighed and fished the paper out of her pocket. "I found this in the bathroom, stuffed in the wall."

Naruto and Sai stared at it, then back at Sakura.

"A cat?" muttered Sai.

"What does that mean?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know. But it gives me a weird feeling."

"Man, I was just joking about this place but now I'm genuinely creeped," Naruto said.

"Same here." Sakura quickly finished her meal and stood. "I think we should do some investigating."

Naruto and Sai stood with her. "Agreed."

"We'll wait until dark." Moving toward the dusty window, Sakura glanced out over the seemingly empty village. "Then we'll find out what this place is hiding."


	5. Chapter 5

After the sun crept below the horizon, a deep navy curtain fell over the village, cloaking Sakura, Naruto, and Sai as they stalked down the main road. They silently glanced around at the old darkened buildings and unlit street lamps that surrounded them. It was eerily quiet.

"Are the old man and his daughter the only ones who live here?" Naruto whispered.

"It seems like it," Sai answered, pointing his flashlight toward a web-covered entrance of what looked like an abandoned store.

Sakura frowned. "That doesn't make any sense."

"You think they ate everyone?" Naruto suggested.

"Shut up."

"Hey, it's possible. They could be snake people like Orochimaru. Like, maybe they can crack their jaws open and—"

"I said be quiet."

Naruto fell silent, and Sakura turned her head toward a dark alleyway. When she focused, she could just make out a small shuffling noise deep within the shadows.

"Let's check that out."

Nodding in agreement, Naruto and Sai followed her into the alley. As they walked, their flashlights illuminated scattered piles of trash and chunks of debris strewn all over the ground. There was a terrible smell that forced Sakura to pull her shirt up over her nose.

Then she stopped in her tracks.

"Um, guys…"

Naruto and Sai stepped up beside her and looked at where she was pointing her flashlight. Tucked under a rusted fire escape was a dark shape that looked recognizable enough for Sakura's blood to run cold. There was a small raccoon sniffing and poking at it.

"Is that—is that what I think it is?" Naruto stammered.

Unprompted, Sai walked toward it, shooed the raccoon away, and bent down.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Sakura hissed. "Don't—"

Pinching some material away, Sai stared at the form for a moment, and then calmly returned to them.

"It is a corpse," he stated plainly. "I'd say it's been decaying for around six months."

Sakura stared at him, stomach clenching with the sudden urge to vomit. "You are a creep, you know that? Let's get out of here."

Quickly, they left the alley and Sakura inhaled a breath of fresh air. She could feel her hands shaking as she fought to keep her voice steady.

"Okay, well, looks like our suspicions were warranted."

"Yeah," Naruto breathed, "I wonder what happened to that poor bastard. You think he was a hobo or something?"

"Doubtful," Sai answered as he held something up. "I found this on him."

He handed the object to Sakura and she studied it under her flashlight. "Poison dart? You think he was trying to kill someone?"

"Or some_ thing _," Naruto interjected.

"Okay, this is definitely weird." Sakura paused for a moment. "Let's split up and look around some more. Meet back here in ten minutes."

Before Naruto or Sai had a chance to object, she flashed away and landed behind a dilapidated theater. She searched around for a few minutes, dark corners and alleyways and overgrown yards, but found nothing of interest. It was spooky, of course, but as far as she could tell, the only corpse in the area was the one they had found under the fire escape. So what had happened to the other villagers? Had they been forced to evacuate for some reason? And in that case, why had Yui and her father decided to stay?

A slew of questions swirled around in Sakura's head, and with them came the realization that the only people who could possibly hold any answers were back at the inn.

After collecting herself, Sakura turned and headed toward the meetup point with Naruto and Sai. Annoying as they were, she didn't want to worry them by being gone too long—especially now that they had good reason to be worried. However, after just a few steps, she skidded to a stop as something moved in a patch of bushes nearby. Carefully, she crept closer.

"Hello?"

No response.

She took a few more steps and paused.

"Is anyone there?"

This time, the rustling continued, and then a small, lithe shape slinked out of the foliage.

Sakura froze.

It was a black cat.

For a long moment, the creature simply stared at her, as if its sharp yellow eyes could plunge into her very soul. Then it meowed, a high, commanding sound, and somehow Sakura knew it wanted her to follow it. So she did.

Silently, the cat turned and jumped over a mossy stone wall. Sakura leaped after it and landed in the forest beyond. There was a surprising lack of insects or creatures in the area; somehow, everything seemed to be holding its breath.

The cat meowed again, alerting Sakura that it was a few feet ahead. Bracing herself, she went after it.

She walked for what felt like an hour, surrounded by dense underbrush and towering oaks. Eventually, the cat led Sakura to a rocky incline, and then through an arch of trailing vines into a narrow ascending footpath.

Strange.

All thoughts froze in Sakura's mind as she followed the cat. It was as if she had been placed on autopilot, and the only thing that mattered was getting to where the cat was leading her.

She walked and walked, climbing the side of the cliff until, finally, the cat stopped. It promptly turned and looked at her, meowed, and then disappeared.

"Wait!"

Sakura rushed forward, but her guide had vanished in an instant. She stood on a rocky ledge that overlooked the forest and the small, shadowy village beyond; the path had ended abruptly.

"What the hell…" she muttered to herself. "Did I really just follow a cat into the middle of the woods for no god damn—"

Before she could finish her thought, Sakura was cut off by a sharp pain that brought her to her knees. Curling in on herself, she clutched her torso as the pain spread through her blood like burning acid.

"Agh!"

Before she knew it, there was a hand on her shoulder, and then she was being plucked off the ground.

"I wondered how long it would take for you to find us," a deep voice drawled in her ear. "I'm so glad you did."

Writhing in agony, Sakura was powerless to defend herself. She felt the presence of multiple people, and when she managed to force her head up, she saw a host of men wearing robes and head wraps surrounding her.

Immediately, she thought of the rogue nin she and Kakashi had captured.

"Who…are you?" she choked out.

The man carrying her didn't answer as he walked toward the edge of the cliff. Sakura barely had time to brace herself before she felt her stomach drop as he jumped into the darkness below. She squeezed her eyes shut, expecting to be crushed by the fall, but then the man landed on a jutting rock a few feet under the ledge, and, followed by the others, he carried Sakura into a narrow tunnel that seemed to go on forever.

Moving through the darkness, the pain and confusion rushing through Sakura's body did nothing to quell her terror; she was all alone and Naruto and Sai probably had no idea where she was. Even if they did find her, she feared they may be too late, as an image of the dead man they had found in the alley flashed through her mind. Silently, Sakura prayed that wouldn't soon be her.

A few minutes later, a stream of air touched Sakura's skin as they entered a cool, damp cave. With the help of his accomplices, the man roughly dragged her across the space, easily curbing any attempt of a struggle on her part, and chained her to a slab of stone. Sakura kicked and screamed, but the more she moved, the more severe her pain became until she felt like her entire body was on fire.

"What…what's happening?!" she gasped.

The man chuckled and leaned over her, face veiled by a swathe of black fabric. "Ah, I think you're talking about this."

He materialized a long chain from his robes and dangled it over her, barely grazing her skin with the black stone that hung from it. Instantly, Sakura screamed as an even more intense pain lanced through her body. When she opened her eyes again, she saw red.

"There it is," the man hummed, pleased. "Looks like she's the one."

"How are you going to draw the demon out of her?" another man asked.

"Like this."

Before Sakura had any chance to process the word 'demon,' her captor ripped at her clothes and pressed the stone into the center of her chest.

"Aggghhh!"

Sakura shrieked and writhed in pain, arms pushing uselessly against her restraints. She could hear and smell her flesh sizzling as the stone's heat coursed through every cell of her body, invading, pushing, consuming until it felt like there was nothing left inside her. It was easily a thousand times worse than the pain she had experienced moments before, and she feared that it would kill her.

The next few minutes were marked by extreme anguish, interrupted only by blinking windows of consciousness that were so jumbled and disjointed they felt like broken puzzle pieces within Sakura's mind. Through the haze of pain and confusion, she thought she heard the man chanting something, although she couldn't make out his words; all she knew was that each syllable burnt through her like hellfire.

Sakura had no concept of the time that passed before her torture finally ended, but when it did, she found herself devoid of energy like a lifeless ragdoll. All she could do was hang uselessly from the stone slab, an empty shell. Her entire body ached worse than it ever had before, and not even the most rigorous training regimen could have compared. She could feel that she was treading the line between life and death, her exhaustion and devastation beyond words.

Through blurry eyes, she watched her captor study the stone, weighing it in his hand, and then he turned toward one of his men.

"This isn't all of it."

"What do you mean, boss?"

"I mean the demon must have fragmented when it was released from Tanaka's body."

"So, there is another host?"

"I believe so."

There was a short pause, and then one of the men asked, "What should we do then?"

"Just as the girl was drawn here, the second host will come. It only makes sense that the demon would wish to reunify its energy."

"What should we do with the girl while we wait?"

For a brief moment, the man glanced at her, and then turned away. "Kill her. We've taken all we need from her."

With that, one of the men approached Sakura and unsheathed a katana. It glinted malevolent in the low light, and yet she couldn't even find the energy to be afraid. All she could do was close her eyes and await the inevitable, her mind clouded by pain and regret and emotions too complex to process in one's final moments. It was the end, and she accepted it. She had no choice.

But then something happened.

First, she heard a grunt of pain, and then the katana clattered to the ground. Next, something rolled across the floor and exploded, casting a dense gray cloud over the cave, and then the men started shouting and scrambling about like wild, frantic dogs. Immediately, she heard blades and kunai clashing together, and then smelled blood. Forced to her senses, she ducked her head just as a shuriken came flying toward her face. It hit the wall behind her with a sharp _dink! _and then clattered to the floor.

_Shit. _

Sakura was practically pinned in the middle of a battle with hardly a drop of chakra left in her, meaning it was impossible to release her strength seal and break her restraints. She knew if any other projectiles came toward her, she would probably be done for. She ducked down and waited, with hardly any wits about her, until finally—after what felt like forever—the shouting died down. In the end, all that remained were a few thin tendrils of drifting smoke and a scattering of lifeless bodies on the ground.

Coughing, Sakura squinted through the darkness until a figure emerged and started slowly approaching her. A wave of terror washed over her, but then she made out a crop of silver hair and gasped.

"K—Kakashi?"

"Sakura." His voice was laced with relief as he unlocked her restraints and helped her up. "Are you okay?"

As soon as she stood, Sakura's legs buckled beneath her and Kakashi wordlessly scooped her off the ground.

"Naruto…Sai…" she choked.

"Are they here?" Kakashi asked.

"I left them back at the village."

With that, he turned and rushed out of the cave and through the winding tunnel beyond. Unlike her captor, Kakashi's movements were so swift and careful that Sakura hardly felt a bump as they moved down the cliffside. She clung to him, grateful that he was alive and that the daimyo hadn't exiled him from the country. He was here, and he was okay—and just that thought was enough to lull Sakura into a wonderful state of relief as they moved through the forest. She felt her grip on Kakashi slacken a bit as a warm blanket of peace floated over her. It was the first time in weeks she had felt so calm.

Then he shook her and she jolted.

"Stay awake, Sakura."

"But…I'm tired…"

"I know, but you have to stay awake right now."

She fought to do as he said, but after a few moments, she felt her eyes close and her head lull against his arm once more.

He shook her again. "Come on, Sakura. You can't fall asleep."

Despite the urgency in his voice, Sakura could barely make out the last of his words as her awareness faded away like floating mist, casting her into a deep, black sea of nothing that she gratefully welcomed.

* * *

When Sakura awoke again, she immediately wanted to die. There was a dull ache in her body, like someone poking tiny needles into every muscle and joint until they penetrated bone. She felt like a bag of bricks, like even the slightest movement would cause her to keel over, and when she cracked an eye open, all she saw was a spinning room.

"She's awake, father," a familiar voice spoke, and seconds later, Sakura realized it was the innkeeper's daughter, Yui.

"I'll go get them," a deeper voice answered, and then there were footsteps retreating from the room.

Sakura opened her mouth and forced one word out. "Where…?"

"You're back at the inn. Don't worry, your friends are safe."

With that, Yui placed a damp rag on Sakura's forehead and the cool sensation made her sigh in relief.

"Thank you."

Seconds later, Naruto and Sai came into the room, Naruto kneeling by the bed and gently grasping her hand.

"Sakura, are you okay?"

"I think I will be," she murmured.

"Kakashi says you were kidnapped," Sai spoke up. "Why did you leave us last night?"

Sakura managed a deep breath, eventually gathering the strength to sit up, and Naruto pressed a hand on her back to help her.

"I…don't know if I can explain," she said.

"I think I can."

Sakura and the others looked at Yui, who stood to her feet with a nervous look on her face. She paused for a moment, fidgeting with her hands and glancing around the room. Then she sighed.

"Sakura followed me to the hideout."

Sakura blinked. "What?"

"The black cat," Yui went on. "That was me."

Sakura, Naruto, and Sai gawked at her as if she had grown a second head, but before she could get another word out, her father came over and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Yui."

"No, they have a right to know." Yui turned her attention to Sakura. "I left that note in your room because I knew you three were shinobi. My father and I…we've been waiting a long time for someone to come save our village. Most of the others fled when those men came, and some were even killed."

"Like that man we found in the alley," Naruto murmured to Sai, who nodded in agreement.

"So, about you being a cat...?" Sakura interjected.

Yui folded her hands in front of her. "Yes. It is a shapeshifting jutsu passed down through my family. It was the only way I could lead you to the hideout without alerting those men."

"Then what happened to Sakura is your fault," a new voice spoke.

Sakura looked up and saw Kakashi leaning against the door frame, arms crossed.

"I beg your pardon?" the innkeeper barked, taking a step toward him.

"It's okay." Yui grabbed her father's hand to stop him. "He's right. This is my fault."

"I probably would have found the hideout on my own eventually. Let's not put the blame on anyone." With her last words, she flashed a look at Kakashi. "You wanna tell me what you've been doing for the past two weeks?"

He stared at Sakura for a few seconds, then glanced at the others. "Can we have a moment?"

"Of course." Yui gave a polite bow and ushered her father out of the room, who was still glaring daggers at Kakashi.

Kakashi entered the room and looked between Naruto and Sai. "You guys, too."

"But Kakashi—"

"It's okay, Naruto," Sakura cut him off.

He and Sai frowned at her for a moment before reluctantly turning and exiting the room. Kakashi waited a bit after they left before he took a few steps closer to Sakura. He seemed just as wary of her as before—as if he had to maintain a certain amount of space between them or his head would explode. He paced a little bit around the room, picking up random objects and studying them, his masked face just as unreadable as always.

"Did you break into the palace?" Sakura prompted.

He set the picture frame he was holding back down and glanced at her. "Yep."

"And?"

"Took me a few days to get the layout and figure out a plan to get inside. I ended up knocking a guard out and taking his uniform. Found the records vault, but it took a lot of weaseling to break in."

"But you eventually did—you found the report about the rogue nin?"

Kakashi nodded. "He belonged to a group called the Red Lotus. From what I understand, there are a few factions, but the main camp was the one you discovered last night."

"The man that hurt me…he said something strange," Sakura replied. "He said there was a demon inside me."

Kakashi nodded. "There was. The members of the Red Lotus are able to host demons in their bodies and transport them to different locations. It's basically a means of warfare that different lords and ringleaders utilize. The demons are housed in invisible seals that are placed on areas of the face, and when the face is revealed, the demon is released into a target."

Sakura was silent for a moment. "So, when I took the cloth off the rogue nin's face, I released the demon?"

Kakashi nodded. "Its energy split in half and entered both of us."

"And that's what made us…?" Sakura couldn't finish the sentence.

Grimacing, Kakashi looked at the floor. "Yes. It was what they called a passion demon. It causes extreme states of emotion that can drive its victims mad. We're lucky we survived."

"That man drew the demon's essence out of me, but what about you?" Sakura asked. "Is it still inside you?"

"No. I found a priest a few days ago who was able to draw it out."

"So you know what it feels like." A memory of the searing pain Sakura had experienced in the cave flashed through her mind and she winced.

"Yeah. I do."

With a pained sigh, Sakura picked at the threads of her blanket. "Did you kill all of them last night? I couldn't really tell what was going on."

"No. A couple of them got away, but I took care of their leader," Kakashi said. "We should convince Yui and her father to get out of town, though. Just to be safe."

Sakura nodded. "You're right, but I doubt they will. Who knows how long those guys have been harassing this village. If those two didn't leave by now, they probably never will."

Kakashi fell silent, though he seemed to agree. After a beat, he finally managed to close the space between them and sit down beside the bed. Sakura stared at him, waiting for him to say what was obviously on his mind.

"I've been thinking…"

"Uh-oh."

He shot her a look, but went on, "Sakura…"

"Yes?"

"After what happened, I would understand if you don't feel comfortable around me." He paused to run a hand through his disheveled hair. "I can't blame you. And if you need me to leave Konoha, I would understand that, too."

Sakura stared at him, her muddied brain slowly processing what he had said like water draining through a clogged up pipe. His gaze was both hollow and serious, etched with a shadow of guilt. He had meant every word.

A current of emotions passed through Sakura in a split second—shock, confusion, sadness—and then she slapped him in the face.

"Are you an idiot?"

Kakashi calmly touched his cheek and looked at her. "I've never claimed I wasn't."

"You really piss me off, Kakashi. You and Tsunade both," Sakura snarled. "I am twenty years old. You think I'm going to be traumatized just cause we groped each other a little?"

Kakashi flinched.

"Have you forgotten everything we've been through over the years? Why is this any different?"

"It just is."

"Why?"

"Because it's me and you, Sakura," he snapped, a spark lighting his gaze. "I was supposed to protect you."

"You did protect me, Kakashi. You saved me last night. What more do you want? We can't change what happened."

He sighed and seemed to deflate a little. "I know."

"Then just let it go, for god's sake. I'm not hurt. I'm not traumatized. Shit, that wasn't even _us _, Kakashi. It was a demon pulling our strings. Nothing has changed between us, okay? So just drop it and never bring it up again."

Kakashi clasped his hands between his knees, and sighed. "Alright."

They fell silent for a while, awkwardly avoiding each other's gazes until Sakura shook her head and scoffed to herself.

"You really are an idiot."

Kakashi sniffed in acknowledgment, then cocked his head. "You put some chakra behind that slap, didn't you?"

Slowly, Sakura's lips spread into a grin. "Yep."

"Thought so." Kakashi's eyes brightened a little, and for the first time in weeks, Sakura felt like they were finally agreeing to let things return to normal. Or at least as normal as they could get.

A few seconds later, Naruto and Sai came back into the room.

"Sorry to interrupt," Naruto hummed, "but Yui's father just told me he has a wagon out back. He can take us home. Do you think you're up for it, Sakura?"

Sakura's gaze moved over Naruto, Sai, and Kakashi, silently relishing the fact that they were all with her again, safe and sound. Then she opened her arms to Kakashi. After a slight pause, he leaned forward for her to wrap them around his neck, and then he carefully scooped her off the bed.

"I take it I'm your pack mule now?" he intoned dryly.

"Yep," she chirped. "Now let's get the hell out of here."


	6. Chapter 6

In the Land of Fire, summer was not really a season that was celebrated; villagers avoided going out in the sun during peak hours, especially on days when the cloud cover was bare to none, and it was pretty certain that at all times every fan or air conditioner in town was cranked to the highest setting. In the earlier weeks of June, the heat was tolerable, but come July everyone in the village sought protection from the blistering sun whenever possible.

Sakura, however, had a special affinity for July. The heat often forced people to stay at home, which meant popular areas of town were less crowded. It also meant more space at the training grounds, which she took full advantage of when she wasn't on shift at the hospital. But most of all, Sakura loved going to Konoha River and dipping her toes in the water. The shock of cold against her skin, when everything around her felt like an inferno, was indescribably perfect. She would sit along the bank, feathering her fingers through the grass and watching the stream ripple in the sun. It was the perfect place to sit and think, and she had been doing a lot of that lately.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Sakura looked up toward the unexpected voice and smiled. "I wasn't really thinking."

"Liar."

Ino grinned as she settled down beside Sakura, slipping her sandals off and dipping her feet into the water.

"Ooh, it's cold!" the blond chattered.

"I think it's nice."

They sat for a bit, enjoying the water and the occasional breeze that relieved them of the heat. Then Ino reached over and tugged on Sakura's braid.

"Your hair's gotten long. You trying to compete with me?"

Sakura playfully slapped her hand away. "It's easier to keep it out of my face."

"Mm-hm."

"What are you doing here anyway?" Sakura asked. "I thought you were on shift today."

"I was, but things were slow at the hospital so Shizune let me leave early."

"Ah."

Ino paused for a moment, green-blue eyes taking her in as she smiled. "So, are you going to tell me?"

"Going to tell you what?"

"What you were thinking about when I walked over."

"You really aren't going to give it up, are you?"

"Of course not." Ino flipped her hair. "Who do you think I am?"

"A nosy pig, that's what you are."

Ino pouted and flicked Sakura right on the diamond in the middle of her forehead. "Better than a billboard brow."

They stared at each other for a wordless moment and then burst into laughter.

"You're an ass," Sakura sniffed.

Ino grinned. "Takes one to know one."

"True."

"So?" Ino poked her in the arm. "Spill."

Sakura eyed her a second longer and then sighed. "I was just thinking about that abandoned village we found a couple months ago."

"The one with the weird old guy and his creepy cat daughter?"

"Yeah."

"What about it?"

Sakura stared out over the rushing water, watching small fractals of light dance across its surface. Although some time had passed, the memories were still fresh in her mind. Especially the more painful ones.

"Sakura?" Ino prodded when she didn't respond.

"I was just thinking…if what Kakashi told me is true and there are more groups out there like the men who took over that village, then maybe there are other places that are facing a similar problem."

Ino paused. "It's possible I guess."

"And I was also thinking, if the daimyo didn't want to disclose those records to Tsunade, then that means this Red Lotus group is a lot more than just a bunch of rogue ninja running around. They have power."

Ino sighed and placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "I feel like you're overthinking this. Maybe the daimyo is still developing a way to deal with this group and he doesn't want secret information getting out yet."

"Maybe…"

"Come on, Sakura, you can't possibly think it's a conspiracy or something."

Sakura didn't respond.

Leaning back on her hands, Ino arched a perfect blond eyebrow. "Do you?"

"I don't know."

"Okay, that's it." Ino rose to her feet and slipped her sandals back on, then held her hand out to Sakura. "Get up."

Sakura squinted at her, shielding her eyes from the sun. "Why?"

"Cause I said so."

With that, Ino grabbed Sakura's wrist and pulled her to her feet, and she barely had enough time to put her shoes back on before Ino was dragging her through the trees.

"Where are we going?" Sakura asked.

"You'll see," Ino chirped.

"You know, I really hate when you're like this."

"And that's what makes it more fun."

"Bite me."

"Don't tempt me."

"Tch."

Eventually, they reached one of the outermost training grounds that bordered the forest. It was late afternoon, so the field was bathed in tawny orange light and long shadows, and Sakura could just begin to feel the cool of night approaching as they entered the clearing. She was surprised to see other jonin—Genma, Iruka, Kurenai, Tenten, and Lee—walking around collecting dead branches and placing them in a ring of stones and dirt in the center of the yard. From the size of it, she guessed they were building a bonfire.

"Found her!" Ino yelled to the others while pointing at Sakura.

Genma glanced at them and gave the blond a thumbs-up, and Lee, who was carrying an ungodly amount of wood, shouted a cheerful hello.

Sakura returned with a silent wave and then glared at Ino. "What is this?"

"Tsunade said we could have a get-together here tonight. Come on, Sakura, it'll be fun."

"Ino, I'm not really in the mood…"

"You haven't 'been in the mood' for anything in months," Ino cut her off. Then she lay a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Look, we're all stressed. Missions have been hectic lately and I know you've been overworking your shifts at the hospital. This will be a good change of pace for us."

Knowing fully well that Ino wouldn't let her out of the situation, at least not without certain unforeseen ramifications, Sakura sighed. "Fine."

Ino squealed and hugged her. "It'll be fun. You'll see."

Sakura didn't answer as she watched Ino hop away to join the others. She stood and observed them for awhile, not really knowing what to do with herself until she felt a strange tingling in her spine—like someone was staring at her. Silently, she turned around but no one was there.

Then she looked up.

Kakashi was perched on one of the branches of the tree closest to her. As usual, he was silent as a mouse as he flipped through the pages of his orange Icha Icha book, very pointedly _ not _ staring at her.

"Who twisted your arm into coming here?" Sakura called up to him.

He glanced down as if he had just noticed she was there. "No one. I was here first."

"And I'm the only one to have noticed you?" she asked.

"Yep."

"So much for being ninja," Sakura grumbled to herself, glancing at the group before before returning her attention to the copy-nin. "Are you going to stay for the fire?"

Kakashi tilted his head. "Depends."

"On what?"

"Whether there will be booze."

"Genma's here. Of course there will be booze."

Kakashi seemed to smirk under his mask. "Good point."

Just then, Ino called to her from the middle of the field. "Sakura!"

She turned around. "What?!"

"Are you gonna stand there talking to that tree all day or are you gonna come help us?"

Before she responded, Sakura glanced back at the tree to realize Kakashi had pulled one of his famous disappearing acts. With a sigh, she stalked away.

"Coming."

* * *

By nightfall, Ino and the others had kindled a decent fire and set up a barbecue, and a small gaggle of jonin had herded in. Food was passed around and alcohol flowed freely, and soon enough, the little gathering of ninja turned into a full blown party. Sakura said hi to Naruto, Shikamaru, and Choji, who had arrived together and were very clearly already buzzed. Choji had gone straight for the barbecue while Naruto had uttered something to Sakura about how he was going to try to get Lee drunk and spar with him. Shikamaru was the most level-headed of the bunch, although when he started complimenting Sakura's hair in a somewhat awkward attempt at flirtation she realized he was probably just as tipsy as them.

After awhile, she managed to escape and drift toward the small ring of people sitting around the fire. She plopped down on a log a bit away from the others and twisted the end of her braid around her finger. It wasn't that she was a wallflower; in fact, if it were any other night she would have been in the center of the activity. But tonight, she couldn't help feeling a weight that she couldn't explain. It had been there for months now and even though certain events had been resolved, the feeling only seemed to get stronger. She had tried to ignore it at first, but with each passing day, it became harder to suppress. If she were honest with herself, it scared her. She really didn't know what to do about it—other than try to pretend it wasn't there.

"You alright, cherry?" a familiar voice spoke.

Sakura turned and looked up at Genma. He grinned a toothy grin, the senbon in his mouth glinting sharply as he extended a red cup toward her.

She took it warily and sniffed the dubious liquid it contained. "I'm not supposed to accept drinks from strange men."

Snorting, Genma plopped down beside her and sent a very strong whiff of booze into the air. "Very funny."

"What is it?"

"Vodka, rum, and cherry soda. It made me think of you."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "How sweet."

"Drink up. The sooner you're sloshed, the sooner you'll be having a good time."

"You think I'm not having a good time right now?"

"I know a sad girl when I see one." He traced a finger down her cheek and winked. "And being the gentleman that I am, I just can't accept that."

Sakura scoffed, half amused and half annoyed. She sniffed the drink again and took a small sip.

"Yuck."

Genma smirked. "It doesn't taste so bad after you've had a few."

"I'll take your word for it."

With that, he draped a heavy arm around her shoulders and nearly knocked her over. "So, what's got ya down, babe?"

"Nothing."

"Ya sure?"

"Yep."

"Really? Cause you seem—"

"Really, Genma. I'm fine."

Before Genma could respond, Ino came rushing through the crowd of people. By her frazzled blond ponytail and flushed face, Sakura could tell her friend was extremely drunk. With surprising force, she reached out and peeled Genma away from Sakura.

"Come on, Genma! Kurenai and Gai are having an arm wrestling match, you gotta see!"

"Oh, shit."

With a sideways grin at Sakura, Genma stumbled after Ino and the two disappeared in a fit of drunken laughter.

Sighing, Sakura tilted her head back and swallowed the horrid drink Genma had brought her. If there was any truth in life, it was that being the only sober person at a party really _ sucked. _ Plus, a part of her decided Genma was right. She needed to loosen up if she was going to have any fun tonight.

But it really didn't occur to Sakura that four drinks later she would be dancing around the fire with Tenten and Ino, chanting some pop song she didn't even know the name of as Naruto and Lee wrestled on the ground only five feet away. As the roaring laughter, blurred shapes, and swirling colors engulfed her, Sakura was finally able to melt into her surroundings. The alcohol flowing through her system had made her loose and giggly, and she didn't care at all what she looked like—mainly because everyone else was just as drunk as her. She was actually having fun. It was a great feeling. Not caring. Not worrying. Just pure sensation and joy. Sure, she was going to have one hell of a hangover in the morning, but honestly, it was worth it.

Just as Tenten passed out in Neji's lap and Ino broke away to throw up in a bush, Sakura kept on dancing and singing without them. At some point, Genma showed up and grabbed her hands, and they started doing a drunken waltz around the pit, laughing carelessly as they nearly caught themselves on fire. Genma's motions were rough and slovenly, and after awhile Sakura started to feel like she was being flung around by a bear. At first, it merely irked her and she chuckled at him to stop. But, apparently, drunk Genma was also deaf Genma. As the ground swirled around her and a vague feeling of nausea hit her stomach, Sakura choked out another command for him to stop, but again, Genma continued hollering slurred song lyrics and hauling her around. Sakura shocked his hand with chakra to get his attention, but found that not only was he drunk and deaf; he was also completely numb. With another swoop around the fire, Genma plucked Sakura off the ground and spun in circles until the world seemed to turn upside down.

"Fuck, Genma, stop," she growled, but her voice was practically drowned out by his.

"_ Love me, love me, say that you love me—!" _Genma howled into the night.

Everyone around the fire laughed and cheered him on, and suddenly Sakura felt like a trapped mouse.

As the nausea and dizziness invaded her senses, she clamped a hand over her mouth and shut her eyes. She clung to Genma as he whirled her around, and it wasn't until someone clamped a hand on his shoulder that he was finally forced to stop.

"You're going to make her sick," a stern voice spoke.

Sakura peeled her eyes open and looked up to see a blurry impression of someone standing behind Genma.

"Ah, we were jus' playin', 'kashi," Genma slurred, but then he set Sakura on her feet and patted her head. "Sorry bout that, cherry."

He lumbered a few feet away and then promptly passed out on the ground.

After taking a few breaths, Sakura managed to regain her bearings. Then she looked up at Kakashi. "Thanks."

"You should sit down."

Wordlessly, Sakura allowed Kakashi to lead her to the fire and then she plopped down on one of the logs. He lowered himself beside her and offered her a flask.

She stared at it and grimaced.

"Water," he said. "It'll help with the nausea."

"Oh."

She accepted it with a shaky hand and took a long gulp, not caring at all that it dribbled down her chin and neck and made a straight line for the front of her shirt. She grabbed the material and wiped it away, then set the flask on the ground and looked at Kakashi.

He was closer now, so she could make out a faint flush on the exposed part of his cheeks, and from the slight smell of alcohol on him she guessed he had been drinking too. His eyes seemed to dart below her face before he turned his attention to the fire.

"Having a good night?"

Sakura was too drunk to catch the sarcasm in his tone, so she merely nodded. Silently she wondered how long he had been at the party without her noticing.

"What about you?" she asked.

"I'm alright."

"Good, good." Sakura stared across the fire at the resting form of Tenten in Neji's lap and cocked her head. "I'm seeing two Tenten's right now."

Kakashi let out a small chuckle. "I promise there's only one."

"Damn. D'you know how fun it would be to have two Tenten's running around?"

"I'm sure Neji would enjoy that."

Abruptly, Sakura doubled over from laughter, and Kakashi watched her in silent amusement. She glanced back at him and wiped a tear from her eye. "I drank way too much, Kakashi."

"I can tell."

"How much have you had?"

"Enough."

"Really? I can't tell."

He stared at her. "I'm good at hiding it."

For some reason, there was something sobering about Kakashi's words, and Sakura fell silent. They both sat and stared at the fire for several minutes, and soon enough, Sakura's drunken mind led her on a trail of very short winded thoughts.

The first was that she hoped she hadn't left the stove on at home.

The second was that she was pretty sure Tenten and Neji were now making out.

And the third, which lingered a bit longer than the others, was that she had genuinely forgotten how wonderful it was to socialize with her friends—Genma aside.

She really had forgotten—and not since the weird mission with Kakashi or the events following it. No, this had gone further back than that. The icing out, the self imposed exile from her friends and family. Ever since the war, since Sasuke…

She realized it now. Under the haze of intoxication and dizziness and nausea, she somehow had the greatest moment of clarity. That she, Sakura Haruno, was just as much a loner as Kakashi. She had changed very slowly over the passing of seasons. Trauma and pain and fear had made her that way—and she knew it had made him that way, too.

In truth, they weren't so different.

For a moment, Sakura was frozen, watching the other partygoers like a stranger looking through a window into a world she didn't belong. She wondered then, if this was how Kakashi felt all the time.

Sakura let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

"You okay?" Kakashi asked.

All she could do was nod.

She didn't know why—it wasn't as if that awful franken mixture of booze and soda had acted as some sort of divine, epiphany-inducing ambrosia—but for some reason, suddenly, everything seemed to click in her head.

Kakashi wasn't guilty about what they had done under the influence of the passion demon. Why would he be? He was a ninja—borderline amoral and a pervert by all means. No. He hadn't ever been guilty.

He had been afraid.

After all, Sakura wasn't some random girl in a bar he could bed one night and then forget, nor was she the exotic femme fatale of a sordid and incredibly unrealistic porno novel.

Sakura was his friend, or as close to a friend as he would allow. That day, they had entered a territory far too intimate for someone like him to enter. And it had scared him. It had scared him to the point of shunning her, of running away, of going nearly insane from his need to avoid any memory of the affection that had so aggressively been ripped from his hands over the course of his life.

And Sakura realized this because she felt the same way.

For a long time, Sakura sat with her thoughts, the fire mesmerizing her into a state of catharsis as everyone carried on around her. Eventually, Kakashi pulled out his Icha Icha book and began silently reading beside her, clearly not interested in whatever was going through her head. Keeping to himself, as usual.

When Sakura finally broke out of her daze, she took another sip of water and looked at him, then down at his book.

"Ya know, you still haven't let me read that," she murmured.

Kakashi ticked an eyebrow, his gaze still lowered. "Go get one from the bookstore if you're so interested."

"Lemme see it."

For being as drunk as she was, Sakura surprised herself at how quickly she reached for the book, but Kakashi held it away before she could grab it.

Sakura pouted. "C'mon, Kakashi. Lemme see!"

"No."

"Pleeeeease?"

"No."

"Just one little peek?"

"No."

Sakura stomped her foot like a child. "Why not?"

"Because I said so."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Meanie."

"Takes one to know one," he mumbled as he returned his attention to the book, clearly having won their little battle.

Sakura crossed her arms and slumped over, sipping on her water every few minutes as she watched the gathering of ninja that surrounded them. It had gotten to the point where people were breaking off into pairs and slinking away under the cover of darkness to make out, including Ino, who Sakura had seen flirting with an older jonin earlier in the evening. A sober Sakura would have felt awkward sitting next to Kakashi in that moment, but luckily, drunk Sakura had a very one-track mind.

"What if I just read the first page?"

Kakashi dropped the book in his lap and looked at her. "Why the sudden curiosity about Icha Icha?"

"I wanna know why you're always reading it. There must be something good about it."

Kakashi stared at her for a long time, and Sakura wasn't sure if he was amused or annoyed. Then he plopped the book next to her.

"There. Knock yourself out."

Sakura let out an embarrassingly girlish squeak as she picked it up and ruffled through its pages. She picked a section at random and squinted her eyes to focus on the blurry sea of words before her. Kakashi watched on in silence.

The page she had picked was rather boring, although she was somewhat surprised at Jiraiya's prose; the old man really could write.

Humming to herself, Sakura skimmed the following pages until she found a particular segment that caught her eye. After a few words, she stopped humming. And after several sentences, she started blushing. She had found what she was sure was one of several sex scenes in the book. But this one was…particularly intense. Sakura had never really read erotica before. It didn't interest her. So she wasn't at all prepared for the response she had to the descriptions on the page.

What at first was just a drunken flush turned into a flustered heat, and she gripped the book a little tighter as her eyes scanned every word. Jiraiya was indeed a perverted man, and his book definitely illustrated that. Sakura was stunned.

Once she finished the scene, she closed the book and quietly handed it back to Kakashi.

"You liked it."

His tone implied that it wasn't a question.

"I…" Sakura trailed off and shook herself. Then she pushed Kakashi over. "Why'd you let me read that, you pervert!?"

Kakashi laughed. "You wanted to."

Sakura hid her blushing face in her hands, suddenly extremely embarrassed for the first time that night. Kakashi had just shown her smut, and now he was laughing at her! She couldn't believe it.

"Hey…Sakura." Somehow, Kakashi mistook her body language and gently pulled her hands away from her face. "It's just a book. Don't be upset."

Sakura looked up at him, then down at their hands. For some reason, she couldn't speak.

"You alright?"

She nodded once.

"Want me to walk you home?"

She nodded again, and with that, he helped her to her feet. Side by side, they left their friends and the bright orange fire behind and disappeared into the night.

They walked all the way to Sakura's apartment in silence, and she couldn't help but notice how quickly she had sobered up since they had left the party. When they reached her door, Kakashi stopped and looked at her.

"I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"The book."

"Oh. N—no. It's nothing," Sakura stammered. "I was just embarrassed."

Kakashi tilted his head. "Embarrassed?"

"It's nothing," she repeated.

"Alright." He turned to go, but on instinct, Sakura grabbed his sleeve. He turned back to her with a questioning look in his eyes.

"Thank you. For stepping in earlier, I mean," Sakura murmured. "If Genma had kept on with that I think I might have puked on him."

Kakashi sniffed. "I kinda wish I had seen that."

Sakura punched him in the arm.

"So violent," he jibed.

"You deserve it."

"True."

Suddenly, Sakura grew very quiet, and they lingered at her doorstep for a few seconds longer.

Kakashi still smelled a bit of booze, which didn't help her nausea, but underneath it was the familiar smell of forest and smoke and blood that her mind related with him. It was the scent of a ninja. Of a hard, cold, violent life. But beyond that, it was pure Kakashi.

He stared down at her, wordless, and didn't step back. It was as if they exchanged an entire conversation with their eyes before Sakura stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. His mask was surprisingly soft against her lips, and beneath it she could feel the heat of his skin, of that handsome face she had only glimpsed once before. Briefly, Kakashi grabbed the hand she had placed on his shoulder, as if he wanted to push her away—but then he decided against it and instead kept a gentle hold on her fingers.

"Goodnight," she whispered once she withdrew.

Kakashi gently squeezed her hand before letting go. "Get some rest, Sakura."

With that, he turned and disappeared into the darkness.


	7. Chapter 7

Sakura awoke the next morning with a splintering, throbbing, ungodly beast of a headache. She squinted at her bedside clock to see a bright red 11:03 blinking back at her—almost mockingly. But it was the weekend and she didn't have any work for once, so she'd had an excuse to sleep in. With a pained groan, she rolled out of bed, slipped on a robe, and stumbled into the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth, which she hadn't been bothered to do last night. The entire party was a faded blur in her mind. Just a mirage of drunken singing and dancing—_ way _ too much dancing—and then a very persistent feeling of nausea and regret. She definitely wasn't going to another party again for a _ long _time.

Sakura had just braided her hair and thrown on some clothes when she heard a knock at the door. While rubbing her temples, she went to answer it and was surprised to see a very sheepish Genma on her front step.

"Hey, cherry."

"Hey, doofus."

He rubbed the back of his neck and flicked his senbon to the corner of his mouth. "So I heard I was a huge ass-hat to you last night and came over to apologize."

Sakura smirked. "It's cool. Want some coffee?"

"Yes, please."

He stepped through the doorway and followed her into her tiny kitchen, where she set about preparing their drinks.

"How do ya want it?"

Genma sat down at the table by the window and propped his feet up. "Black as my fucking soul."

Sakura snorted. "Your soul is a damn vanilla latte."

"How do you reckon?"

"I know you probably don't remember much about last night, but nobody with a black soul dances the way you do."

"Ah, damn. Well, hopefully no one else remembers it either."

"Yeah. That kinda thing would definitely ruin the badass reputation you've set for yourself," Sakura responded dryly.

"Damn straight."

Rolling her eyes, Sakura poured Genma his coffee and set it in front of him, then poured her own and sat down. As he sipped his drink, Genma watched her mix a dollop of cream and two spoonfuls of sugar into her coffee.

"Ah, so that's why you're so sweet," he remarked.

Sakura tapped her spoon against the edge of her mug and placed it on the table. "You are so cheesy."

"Hey, that was a good one."

"Whatever you say."

Sakura couldn't help but smile as she took a sip of her coffee; it was indeed very sweet.

They sat and chatted for awhile about mundane things. Missions, Sakura's work at the hospital, and whether Tsunade would ever be able to lay off her sake addiction. Then after Genma gulped down his coffee, he got up to put his mug in the sink and leaned back against the counter to look at Sakura.

"So, I was thinking…"

"Yeah?"

"The way I acted last night—I need to make it up to you."

Intrigued, Sakura crossed her legs. "And how are you going to do that?"

"Let me take you out to dinner. We'll go wherever you want."

Sakura paused as she raised her cup to her lips. "Uh…"

"Just as friends," he quickly added, holding his hands up in a placating gesture. "Come on. It'll be fun."

"That's what Ino said to me before the party and now I have this terrible hangover."

"There will be no booze involved. I swear."

Sakura eyed him for a moment as she considered his proposal. It _ was _ just Genma. And he _ was _ offering to buy her free food. It was kind of an irresistible deal.

After a beat, Sakura shrugged. "Okay."

"Hell yeah." Genma twirled his senbon in his teeth as he straightened and headed for the door—probably wanting to get out before she changed her mind. "I'll come by later tonight. How about 7:00?"

"Uh, sure."

"Great. See ya, Sakura."

"See ya."

For a moment after he left, Sakura was sure she would finally be able to enjoy some silence, but then her door burst open again and Ino came frolicking inside as if she hadn't just been barfing up her liver the night before.

"You have a date with Genma?" she exclaimed.

"It is _ not _a date. What did that bastard tell you?"

"He said you guys were hanging out tonight. I just connected the dots, that's all."

Sakura drank the last bit of her coffee and set the empty cup in the sink. "Well, there are no dots to connect."

"Alright, alright. Just some pure platonic alone time with the hottest guy in Konoha. I totally get it."

"Ino."

"Okay, I'll shut up."

Ino plopped down on the couch in the living room and flipped on the TV. Sakura came in, grabbed the remote, and turned it back off.

"Aren't you even a little hungover?" she grumbled.

"Oh, nah. I drank my mom's secret hangover recipe when I got home last night."

Sakura recoiled. "How? That stuff is disgusting."

Ino shrugged. "It works."

"Well, anyway…what are your plans for the day?" Sakura sat down next to her friend as she poured a stream of healing chakra into her temples.

"Not much. I'm probably gonna get dragged to the hospital later."

"Why?"

"A few jounin were sent on a mission this morning. They're supposed to be returning later today."

Sakura frowned. "You think there's going to be injuries?"

"I mean, it is a B rank mission. Tsunade told me not to expect the worst but there could be a few broken bones that'll need mending."

Sakura sighed. "So, I guess I should expect to work tonight, too?"

"No. I'll take care of it so you can get ready for your little date with Genma."

Sakura narrowed her eyes at Ino, who merely snickered and waved her hands in the air. "Kidding, kidding."

"I appreciate you taking on work like that, but if it becomes too much, just let me know and I'll be there."

Ino shook her head insistently. "Like I said, it'll be fine. There were only a handful of ninja that went out."

"Did Tsunade give you any more details than that?"

"Nope."

Sakura sighed. "Figures."

They sat and chatted for a few minutes before Sakura shooed Ino away so she could do the laundry that had piled up on her floor over the past week. She went about her room picking up discarded garments and throwing them into a basket, wrinkling her nose at the reek of booze that was still on her outfit from the night prior. Once she was finished with her laundry, she decided to go into town to do some quick grocery shopping, and all the while she couldn't stop her eyes from roving the streets and shop windows for a telltale shock of silver hair. She wanted to see Kakashi. After last night, though her memories were foggy, she had a feeling she might have driven him off again. She really hoped that wasn't the case, and if need be, she would explain to him that it had just been a simple, friendly peck on the cheek—a gesture of gratitude to him for walking her home. But it seemed any sort of clarification on the matter was to be parlayed. Kakashi was nowhere to be found.

On her way home, Sakura considered visiting his apartment, but then quickly decided against it. Kakashi had probably already forgotten about last night. It was Sakura who just needed to grow up and discard it from her mind. After all, a man of his experience surely wasn't affected by such schoolgirl antics. He probably hadn't even thought anything of it, which meant she was just worrying for nothing.

Sakura continually reassured herself the rest of the day until she was finally able to put Kakashi out of her mind. Sunset rolled around, and, almost dazedly, she managed to assemble a simple outfit for her evening with Genma: a black mid length skirt, blue satin tank top, and black boots. As an afterthought, she added a white cardigan to reinforce the casual vibe she was going for. After all, she did _ not _want Genma—or anyone else—to think this was a date. Because it definitely wasn't.

After pinning her hair back and brushing on a light layer of makeup, Sakura grabbed her purse and stepped out onto her front step to wait for Genma. The night was fresh and warm, abuzz with the chirp of crickets and rustling leaves, and there was a nice mix of smells in the air—newly bloomed wildflowers, distant rain, and drifting smoke from a nearby barbecue. All the familiar signs of summer that Sakura adored so much. Something about it instantly eased her mind as she watched darkness fall over the village.

After a few minutes, Genma finally arrived.

Grinning widely, he stepped into the porch light and materialized a small bouquet of flowers from behind his back. Sakura slowly took them.

"You know, for a 'friendly outing,' these come off as very date-like," she remarked.

Gemma's grin got even bigger. "That's only because you're a friend whom I regard very highly."

"I see."

Sakura quickly went inside to put the flowers in a vase, and once she returned, Genma held his arm out to her. She took it, and they started down the road.

"So, where do you wanna go?" he asked.

Sakura glanced at him. "You sure you want me to pick?"

"Of course. I owe you, remember?"

"Alright." Sakura thought for a moment. "How about Shingetsu Grill?"

"Mm, good choice. Their pork udon is the best."

"Yep."

With that, they continued along the main street for a few minutes before turning down the corner Sakura took on her way to the hospital most mornings, and even though this was not such an occasion, she couldn't stop the familiar pang of anxiety that pricked her stomach when the tall white building came into sight about a mile down the road. The feeling was ingrained in her, it seemed—of losing a patient, of making a decision that could ruin someone's life. An internalized memory. And it was something she never spoke about with anyone.

"You alright?" Genma asked, seeming to pick up on her sudden tension.

"Yeah. I was just thinking."

"About work?"

She didn't answer, but he seemed to read her response—or lack thereof—as a 'yes.'

"Well stop." Genma playfully nudged her. "You're supposed to be having fun."

Sakura merely smiled at him, but as they walked, she couldn't stop her gaze from shifting to the hospital again.

Being a medic had its rewards, and in her mind, they far outweighed the disadvantages. Still, she often wondered if the pressure was too much. If she were to one day run the hospital herself as chief medic, would she be able to handle it? Shizune and Tsunade made it seem simple, but in reality, it was tough work, grueling work, and it required a lot of willpower. Sakura wasn't really sure if she could handle it.

Suddenly, Genma flicked the diamond on her forehead, snapping her out of her thoughts. She was two inches from punching his lights out when he sidestepped and smirked at her. "You were still thinking about work. I could see it in your face."

"Don't flick me, asshole."

"Alright, alright."

He fell back in step with her, and she settled on punching him in the arm.

"Ouch."

"Serves you right."

"Hey, I'm feeling twitchy without a senbon in my mouth. I gotta do something to distract myself."

"And flicking me is your solution?"

"Sure."

Sakura squinted at him. "Why don't you have your senbon anyway? You're always messing with that thing."

"I don't usually take it with me on dates." Sakura whipped her head at that, and he quickly corrected himself— "I mean, on 'friendly outings'."

Despite his slip-up, Sakura couldn't help feeling slightly impressed. Genma and his little senbon obsession went pretty much hand in hand. The fact that he had given it up for the night probably meant something—although she wasn't really invested in finding out what.

After several minutes of their usual back-and-forth banter, they finally made it to the restaurant and chose a table in a dimly lit, vine-covered balcony area. Sakura had to admit, the view and ambience of the restaurant were lovely. It wasn't often she got to sit down and enjoy a meal like this, and whatever annoyance that still lingered from Genma messing with her instantly melted away.

After their waiter brought them two menus and a basket of bread, Sakura leaned over the table and murmured, "I forgot how nice it is here."

"See?" Genma grinned. "I told you going out with me wouldn't be so bad."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "You're really laying it on thick that this is a date, huh."

"Yup."

"And what makes you think I'm not just using you for free food?"

"Well, that was the initial idea, so I don't mind. Still, I'm allowed to think of it however I like, right?"

Sakura smirked. "Is it really that hard for you to get dates, Genma? You gotta barter for a girl's attention?"

"For a girl like you, yes."

For the first time that night, Sakura felt her face flush. "What does that mean?"

Almost awkwardly, the waiter interrupted to give them their drinks and take their orders, but as soon as they were alone again, Genma took a sip of his water and winked at her. "It means you're hard to get, sweetheart."

"You are unbelievable," Sakura scoffed, although she couldn't really disagree with him. Dating was definitely not her forte. After the disaster with Sasuke, she found that she didn't go out of her way to pursue men. Sure, she'd gained some experience, but it wasn't something she fixated on the way other girls her age did. For Sakura, dating was like an endless game of cat-and-mouse, and she was never sure which side she would end up on. It was better to just avoid it altogether and focus on other things. Keep her head clear.

"In all seriousness, though," Genma continued, "I gotta give you credit for putting up with my shit."

"It's a gift," she replied simply.

"One of many."

"You really are a sleaze, you know that?"

He let out a false gasp. "Sakura, I'm offended."

"Seriously. It's no wonder you and Kakashi are friends," she added.

"Hey, Kakashi is what I call a closet sleaze," Genma countered. "Totally different thing."

Sakura clicked her tongue. "Well, you're both idiots."

"Maybe."

"And geezers."

"Hey! I'm only thirty-four!"

Snickering, Sakura threw part of a breadstick at him. "Geezer."

Genma caught it and took a big bite before pointing it back at her. "Don't make me flick you again."

Sakura stuck her tongue out at him, and he genuinely looked like he was about to pounce at her from across the table just as their waiter arrived with their meals. Instantly, their little spat was forgotten as a warm, heavenly aroma wafted in the air. They accepted their plates and instantly dug in, and for once, Sakura realized they had something in common. They were both pigs.

Every now and then, Genma would pluck something off of her plate and she would snag something from his, and then they both ended up sharing a giant slice of chocolate cake that Sakura could truthfully say was the best thing she had ever tasted in her life. Afterwards, they left the restaurant in great spirits and didn't fight at all as they strolled at a leisurely pace down the street, Genma cracking awful jokes and Sakura laughing at how much of an idiot he was.

It was only when she realized that she was having such a great time that, of course, something had to bring it all crashing down.

"Sakura! Sakura!"

She squinted against the light of the street lamps and saw Ino running towards them, and as her friend got closer, a very distinct look of panic became clear in her eyes. Sakura and Genma stopped as Ino nearly crashed into them. She grabbed Sakura, and Sakura held her as she collapsed in her arms.

"Ino, what's wrong?"

"The jounin group—" Ino gasped. "They came back. Something went very wrong. I did my best, Sakura. I don't have anything left in me. I really tried my best."

Fear and confusion twisted in Sakura's belly as she stared into Ino's panic-stricken face, trying to make sense of what she was saying. "What went wrong? Are they alright?"

"No, no, Sakura. It's bad. Please, just come to the hospital. Kakashi—" Ino choked back a sob. "Kakashi was with them. He's hurt bad."

In that moment, the world seemed to fold in on itself and a cold blackness wrapped around Sakura's entire body. She shared a startled look with Genma, and then all three of them hurried in the direction of the hospital.

* * *

Each time Sakura awoke from her restless sleep, lifting her head from the back of the chair she had taken vigil in, she almost believed she was dreaming when her eyes fell upon Kakashi's ravaged body lying in the hospital bed. Each time, she listened for the reassuring beep of his heart monitor and searched for the slow rise and fall of his chest to make sure he was still alive. She couldn't believe it—after a punctured lung and massive blood loss from several stab wounds—he was still alive. But barely.

Every hour, as soon as her chakra regenerated, she transferred it to his wounds. Like clockwork, she poured life back into his battered body, little by little. Crawling hours turned to torturous days until, finally, Kakashi started to show signs of awakening.

It started first with a series of low, almost inaudible groans one morning. Sakura had tried to ease his pain as best she could, dosing him with morphine and placing cool, damp rags on his forehead at regular intervals, but he still seemed uncomfortable and she had no idea what more she could do. Then his lips moved and he had started mumbling, eyes moving rapidly beneath his eyelids as if he were dreaming. Sakura guessed he was reliving the battle that had placed him in the hospital days before, and the thought made her yearn even more for his recovery. Kakashi didn't deserve to suffer the scenario over and over in his head. He deserved to heal from it.

Later that evening, his heart monitor began to beep rapidly, and as Sakura came to his bedside, she saw little beads of sweat steadily trailing down his face. She patted them away with a cloth and murmured words of comfort, hoping Kakashi could grasp what she was saying. Gently, she grabbed his hand and smoothed her thumb over his bruised knuckles, feeling each scratch and bump as if she were trying to memorize it, trying to etch it into her mind like a road map. With that, Kakashi stilled as the monitor returned to a steady, reassuring beep, and Sakura let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"Please wake up soon, Kakashi," she murmured to him. "For me."

To her surprise, his lips cracked open just a hair, and she heard one word escape them in a hoarse, choked whisper before he slipped back into unconsciousness:

"Angel."

* * *

**A/N: **

Hey, guys! I just wanted to say thank you so much to everyone who has been following this story so far. I read each and every comment and honestly the encouragement means so much to me and makes me so excited to update! This started out as just a simple idea and I never really expected it to morph into the story it's become, so I'm really happy to see that people are enjoying it. And before anyone gets mad about this chapter, no I'm not planning for Genma to be a viable love interest for Sakura (even though he is a darling, isn't he?). I kinda just want him to be a source of jealous motivation for Kakashi and a close friend to Sakura. This fic is still purely KakaSaku, I swear! Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy what's to come cause I have some interesting things planned... *cackles maniacally*


	8. Chapter 8

Hokage tower was empty when Sakura entered the main doors, its spacious corridors illuminated by a dim, flickering light. She usually didn't visit Tsunade at such an early hour, but she still had too many questions running around in her head and not enough patience to endure them any longer. Silently, she walked up the stairs to her mentor's office and knocked on the door. Shizune opened it almost immediately, unsurprised to see her standing in the hallway. Her expression was unreadable as she welcomed Sakura inside.

For once, Tsunade wasn't seated at her desk, downing drink after drink. Instead, she was standing at the window with her hands folded behind her back. Sakura approached her, but she didn't turn around.

"Still no news?" Sakura asked, almost warily.

Tsunade slowly shook her head.

Sakura tried to swallow her disappointment. "Three other jounin were with him. They really don't know anything?"

"We probably won't find out exactly what happened until Kakashi becomes lucid," Tsunade said. "According to the report given by his comrades, he was the only one who was likely to have seen their attacker."

Sakura was silent. It had been four days since Kakashi had been taken to the hospital. He was beginning to exhibit short bursts of awareness, but his thoughts seemed scrambled at best, and when he actually managed to say something, it never made any sense—only fragments of words and incoherent phrases that Sakura had to strain to make out. At the very least, he seemed to relax when she was with him, and she was relieved she could provide that small amount of comfort, since she knew how much Kakashi hated being in the hospital. Still, the exact source of his injuries remained a mystery.

"It doesn't make sense," Sakura muttered. "I mean, I know it was a B rank mission but that's only because the requestor was a wealthy man. All they had to do was infiltrate a weapons collector's base and take back an heirloom sword, right? Why would something like that be so dangerous?"

Tsunade sighed. "I would say that maybe someone tripped a wire and alerted the collector's guards of their presence. However, there was an explosion after the initial attack, which seems counteractive on the collector's part—damaging his own goods and such."

Sakura hummed in agreement. She distractedly traced the wood grain of Tsunade's desk as she mulled over the situation. "Something about it seems…intentional?"

Finally, Tsunade turned around and looked at her. "You're suggesting someone targeted Kakashi?"

"Maybe."

Tsunade was silent for a moment. "It's possible I suppose…but it's all conjecture at this point. The only thing we can do for now is keep investigating…and waiting."

Waiting. It definitely wasn't Sakura's specialty. She was an action-oriented person. Always had been. Seeing Kakashi in so much pain made her heart ache, and the fact that the person who had hurt him had escaped freely made her blood boil. She wanted nothing more than to get to the bottom of things as soon as possible. But for now, there was nothing she could do—and she hated it.

"You look tired, Sakura," Tsunade spoke again, her amber eyes filled with concern as she regarded her student. "Have you slept at all?"

Sakura didn't answer.

"I know you're worried about Kakashi," Tsunade went on. "I'm proud of how hard you've been working to heal him, but you're not going to be able to help him if you don't take care of yourself first."

"I know, Tsunade-sama."

In one of her rare shows of affection, the woman rounded her desk and tucked a strand of hair behind Sakura's ear. All Sakura could do was stare back at her.

"You're a lot like me, you know that?" Tsunade murmured. "Hard-headed, persistent. Kakashi is lucky to have a friend like you."

Sakura gave her a small smile, but she knew it didn't reach her eyes. "Thank you, Shishou."

With that, she bowed to her mentor and then turned and left the room.

Even considering the early hour, the air was surprisingly cool as Sakura stepped out onto the street and made her way into town. She walked through the village square, deep in her thoughts as the sun crept slowly into the dark blue sky, still dotted by a faded blanket of stars. The breeze that caressed her face brought a strange sense of calm, and she prayed it was a sign that everything would be alright. Eventually, she came to a stop at the edge of a fence and stooped down to pluck a cluster of lilies to bring to the hospital. Yamanaka Flowers wasn't open yet, but she felt that wildflowers were more fitting for Kakashi anyway. She had been taking them to his room every morning, almost ritualistically, and she didn't really know why other than the simple fact that they made her feel better. She hoped they made Kakashi feel better, too.

As soon as Sakura stood up and headed in the direction of the hospital, she saw a small shape racing toward her down the street.

"Pakkun?" she called.

It wasn't unusual for Kakashi's ninken to walk with her to the hospital, but something about the dog's demeanor made her hair stand on end.

"Sakura-chan," Pakkun barked as he skidded to a stop in front of her. He pointed his nose toward a spot in the distance, and as Sakura squinted, she made out a small plume of smoke billowing in the dawn sky.

"What…?" she breathed in disbelief.

"It's the hospital, Sakura-chan." Pakkun urgently pawed at her leg. "It's on fire."

In an instant, Sakura dropped the flowers she had picked and bolted down the road, Pakkun racing at her heels. An awful feeling crawled through her chest, squeezing her lungs as her heart pounded against her ribcage. Her only thoughts in that moment were of Kakashi. She knew with a punctured lung, he could easily die of smoke inhalation, and he wasn't in any shape to get up and run if the flames spread to his room. She needed to get him out of there as soon as possible.

"Fire! There's a fire!" Sakura screamed at the top of her lungs as she raced through the village. "Fire! Fire!"

Pakkun yipped and howled alongside her, and eventually, various windows and doors began to fly open, followed by a host of villagers running outside to see what was going on. Sakura continued to shout warnings until she and Pakkun finally reached the hospital. She looked up, and sure enough, smoke was spilling out of the fourth floor and slowly spreading to the others above it.

"Shit," Sakura spat. She watched a cluster of patients fleeing the building, while those less fortunate screamed from inside. The acrid smell of smoke and charred wood filled the air so thickly it made her cough. Quickly, she took her vest off and wrapped it around her face to shield her from the fumes, then she turned to the nearest group of people and shouted, "Help me evacuate the patients! Hurry!"

With that, she ran inside the hospital and started sprinting through the halls, checking the rooms until she found any bedridden patients and carried them out. Gradually, more villagers showed up to help her, and she directed them to different rooms until the first three floors were evacuated. Pakkun stayed at her side the entire time, barking and shaking in distress. It wasn't until she made her way to the stairway leading to the fourth floor that she told him to wait for her outside. The dog seemed wary to leave her side, but he turned and left without any comment.

Urgently, Sakura flashed up the stairs and clambered down the smoky corridor. The choked cries of patients racketed against the walls and pierced her ears, making her tremble as her legs fought to carry her onward. Selfishly, her mind flew to Kakashi, who was on the fifth floor, but she ignored her urge to immediately go to him and instead evacuated the rooms she was closest to, one by one.

"Sakura!"

Suddenly, a familiar voice snapped her out of her adrenaline-filled craze and she looked up through the smoke to see Naruto followed closely by Sai, Shikamaru, and Lee.

"Oh, thank god!" she exclaimed. "Please evacuate the rest of the floor! I need to go help Kakashi!"

Before they could say anything, she bolted down the corridor and up the next flight of stairs. She was almost to the top when a burst of flames shot up in twisting snakes of scarlet, and with a deafening screech, the stairs lurched beneath her.

Sakura let out a yelp, instinctively launching herself into the next corridor just as the stairs collapsed. The heat was intense as she rushed through the dense smoke that enveloped everything around her. Coughing and sputtering, she fumbled blindly until she found Kakashi's room and threw herself inside.

Only to find that his bed was empty.

"What the—"

She stood in silent confusion for a moment until she collected herself and ran out into the hall again. The smoke and flames had intensified, crackling, burning, and dancing chaotically through the air. Desperately, she ran across the crumbling building until she found a second staircase. Luckily, it was still intact. There was one floor left, and as she headed towards it, she heard the sound of voices above. Her eyes stung from the heat and smoke, and sweat covered her skin as she ran up the stairs. Immediately, she found a terrified group of patients cloistered together in a room, eyes wide with shock, and no one even seemed to register her presence when she asked if they were alright.

A moment later, Kakashi stumbled into the room, wheezing and coughing as he carried a little girl on his back. Sakura stared in awe while he brought the girl to the window and handed her to a shinobi who was waiting in the upper boughs of a tree outside. Meanwhile, she could hear people shouting hysterically from the ground below.

Kakashi continued to help the patients out the window until Sakura snapped out of her dumbfounded state and rushed in to assist him, and it was only when the last patient was taken care of that Kakashi finally collapsed from exhaustion.

"Kakashi!"

Just then, a resounding _boom! _shook the walls and Sakura fell to the floor. The window shattered violently, slicing small cuts into her arms as she shielded herself from the sailing glass, and when she glanced up again, the tree the other patients had used to escape was on fire.

"Shit, shit, shit," Sakura spluttered in horror.

Coughing through the thick layer of smoke that had filled the room, she grabbed Kakashi's unconscious body and used her chakra to hoist him over her back. She didn't know how long her strength would last, since the fumes and heat were already getting to her, but she ignored her discomfort and quickly leaped through the broken window, landing on a concrete ledge outside. One glance at the ground below made her knees buckle beneath her, but she stilled her fear and took a deep breath. After reigning herself in, she sent chakra to her legs and the soles of her feet, enough to make her feel as if the entire lower half of her body was buzzing with electricity.

Then she jumped.

All the air left Sakura's lungs as her stomach dropped, and for a moment she felt like she was flying. Then she hit solid ground, and the earth cracked in every direction like a splintered log. As soon as she landed, Sakura dropped Kakashi and fell over. Through ringing ears, she heard Naruto and the others shouting her name, but she could barely decipher what was going on as the utter shock she had been holding back came over her at full force. Her legs and arms trembled as she watched a group of shinobi lift Kakashi onto a stretcher and carry him away, then she felt Naruto throwing a heavy blanket around her and hoisting her into his arms. The last thing Sakura saw was the villagers fighting off the roaring fire that had consumed the hospital before she buried her face in Naruto's shirt and cried her eyes out.

* * *

Tsunade glanced up from her paperwork as Sakura burst through the doors of her office. There were aids all around her, scribbling on scrolls and frantically ruffling through the filing cabinets that lined the room. The entire place was in chaos, and yet Tsunade couldn't have looked more calm as she sat back and stared at her apprentice.

"I want to help with the patients," Sakura said.

Tsunade blinked. "You inhaled a lot of smoke this morning, Sakura. You should be resting."

"Respectfully, Tsunade, I don't want to rest."

Tsunade seemed prepared for a fight, but at the last second, she changed her mind. "Go ahead," she sighed with a flick of her hand. "Truth is, I could use all the help I can get."

Sakura was secretly surprised her mentor had given in so easily, but then again, Tsunade seemed to be in no mood for an argument. She clearly had other things on her mind. For one, finding the funds to repair the hospital, which would more than likely come from begging various lords for money—and then there was the matter of finding the proper place to hold Konoha's patients since they no longer had a functioning medical center.

"Imagine how indebted we're going to be after this…" Tsunade muttered, as if she had read Sakura's mind.

"Have you figured out what caused the fire?" Sakura asked.

"Not yet," Tsunade grumbled. "I have a task force investigating it. From my guess, I'd say it was a gas leak."

Sakura frowned. "But you've always made sure to have the hospital thoroughly inspected. I doubt something like that would have gone unnoticed."

"Mistakes happen." Tsunade propped her elbows on the desk and rubbed her eyes, then downed half a bottle of sake in one gulp. She was silent for a long time, lost in her thoughts, before seeming to realize Sakura was still standing there. "The training rooms downstairs were converted into temporary wards. You can join the other medics there."

"Thanks."

Sakura bowed and quickly left the room to get out of Tsunade's hair. Normally, only high-ranking officials were allowed in the basement, but as Sakura approached, the security guards simply nodded at her and stepped aside.

The training rooms Tsunade had spoken of were large concrete spaces that were normally filled with fighting dummies and exercise equipment, but now were lined wall to wall with cots and medical supplies. She entered one of the first rooms and found a walled off section filled with medical coats, scrubs, and gloves. After suiting up, Sakura went into the main part of the ward and spotted Ino moving from cot to cot. As soon as her friend saw her, she rushed over and drew Sakura into a bear hug.

"Oh, Sakura! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I came to help out," Sakura replied. "Could you get me some patient charts?"

"Uh, yeah, but are you sure you're up to it? I mean, after everything you've been through—"

"I said I'm fine, Ino."

The blond stared at her for a moment before offering a silent nod. She padded over to a steel table by the doorway and shuffled through a stack of papers, then she pinned them to a clipboard and brought it to Sakura.

As Sakura took it, Ino didn't quite let go as she leaned in and muttered, "Before you get too busy I suggest paying Kakashi a visit."

Sakura's heart jumped. "Why? Is he okay?"

"He's alright. He's just being…difficult."

"Hm. That's probably a good sign." Sakura took a moment to read through the patient charts before returning her attention to Ino. "Where is he?"

Ino pointed, and Sakura followed her line of sight toward a far corner of the room. Sitting up with his legs slung over the side of his cot, Kakashi was clearly arguing with one of the nurses. Sakura couldn't make out what was being said, but knowing Kakashi, she guessed it wasn't anything pretty.

"Thanks, Ino." With a sigh, Sakura squeezed her friend's shoulder and walked away.

For some reason, as Sakura neared Kakashi's cot, her pulse started to quicken. When she came within a few feet, she started to make out what he was saying.

" —completely fine. I don't need to be here. Give my bed to someone who really needs it."

"Sir, please settle down," the medic replied. "You are still in critical condition."

Kakashi looked like he was about to protest again before Sakura stepped in. She smiled at the other woman and said, "It's alright. I can handle him."

The girl shot a look at Kakashi before bowing to Sakura. "Yes, Haruno-san."

With that, Sakura and Kakashi were left alone.

"Let me guess," Kakashi sighed, "you're not gonna let me leave either."

"Wrong." Sakura folded her arms. "I'm gonna let you go home."

Kakashi looked up at her, arching a fine silver eyebrow. It seemed he had misplaced his mask somewhere at the hospital, because every raw scratch and burn mark on his face was fully visible. Sakura guessed that was part of why he was so irritated. If there was anything she knew about Kakashi, it was that he couldn't stand being vulnerable for very long.

"What?"

"I'll let you go back to your apartment…on one condition."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed. "Yes…?"

"You let me come over as often as I want so I can look after you. You're still far from a full recovery—and don't give me that face. You know it's true."

Kakashi frowned, silent.

"It's either that or you can stay here in this cold basement."

He mulled over her words for a moment before rubbing the back of his head. "Sakura, really, I don't need anyone doting on me."

She stared at him—pale skin, glazed eyes, roughed up hands that trembled when he moved. He most certainly was _not _alright, no matter how convincing of an act he thought he was putting on.

"Stop being so stubborn," she countered.

"I'm not being stubborn. I'm just being honest."

Sakura scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Okay, tell you what. I'm gonna go check up on some other patients while you think it over. I'll be back soon."

With that, she turned and walked away.

For about an hour, Sakura went on her rounds through the various makeshift wards in the basement. Unsurprisingly, many of the patients were suffering from smoke inhalation. Others from burns that ranged from very mild to very severe. She spent most of her energy on healing them, but she couldn't quite get the thought of Kakashi out of her mind. Honestly, it was impressive how quickly he had already recovered. Sure, she had been treating him regularly, but most of the healing he had done over the past couple of days she attributed to sheer stubbornness. She had to give it to him—Kakashi was a fighter through and through.

Once Sakura was finished with the other patients, she made her way back to the first ward only to find that Kakashi was gone.

"Ugh, that fucking asshole," she grumbled to herself. A little too sharply, she turned to the nearest medic and snapped, "Did you see where Kakashi Hatake went?"

The medic bit her lip and shook her head. "We tried to stop him, but he was set on leaving."

"Ugh."

Without another word, Sakura turned on her heel and stormed out.

The wind had picked up outside, causing the tree branches to slap against Hokage Tower, and a deep roll of thunder rumbled in the distance. Sakura had expected to go on a wild goose chase looking for Kakashi, but as soon as she stepped out, she found him a few feet away from the door, sagging against the wall and clutching his stomach.

Quickly, she rushed over to him and looked down to see blood soaking through his clothes and staining his fingers.

"Kakashi," Sakura whispered, scoldingly.

"I think some of my stitches came out," he remarked.

"Really?" she retorted.

Kakashi didn't answer.

"Come back inside so I can fix you up."

For once, Kakashi didn't resist her as she placed one of his arms over her shoulders and guided him back into the building. She helped him sit down in the lobby, and went to find some medical supplies. When she came back, luckily, he was still where she left him, slumped over and staring at the floor. Silently, Kakashi allowed Sakura to clean and repair his stitches, and then she sat back and looked at him.

"Not so full of energy now, huh?"

He glanced up at her with a weak smirk. "I could probably manage a few laps around the training grounds."

"Mm-hm."

With that, Sakura moved toward the medical cart and stooped down to grab a pair of crutches she had brought from the ward. "I know you aren't gonna like these, but you need them right now." She handed them to Kakashi.

"Crutches?"

"Yep." She stepped closer and placed her hands on her hips. "Now, this time you're going to get up _carefully _, and you're going to let me help you. Alright?"

"Sakura…" he whined.

"Kakashi," she mimicked.

He sighed in frustration. "I'm really not gonna win this battle, am I?"

"Nope."

With a grunt, Kakashi grabbed hold of the crutches and Sakura helped him back onto his feet. Sakura cringed at the obvious pain he was in, but she tried not to show it as she walked silently beside him on their way out of the tower.

Neither of them spoke as they walked to Kakashi's apartment. He seemed irritated that he couldn't move very fast, maybe even embarrassed that Sakura had to slow her pace so he could keep up, but he didn't voice it. Sakura, on the other hand, was simply happy that he was alive and that she could finally give him the medical attention he needed. Even if he didn't like it.

Finally, as they neared his street, Sakura spoke up. "We can stop for a moment if you need to rest."

"No."

"Okay." She paused before glancing at him. "By the way, I was pretty amazed at what you did."

"What do you mean?"

"When I last visited you at the hospital, you were barely conscious," she explained. "But just this morning, you were helping everyone escape the fire. I couldn't believe it."

Kakashi kept his gaze on the road. "I guess I was lucky to wake up when I did."

"More than lucky."

"Hm."

Minutes later, they approached Kakashi's apartment and Sakura slowly helped him up the stairs to his doorstep. Then she stopped.

Just a glance at his expression—which was so easy to read without the hindrance of his mask—was enough to tell her he was anything but happy with the thought of her 'doting' on him, but she had to admit she liked the idea of being by his side. For the first time in days, she felt at ease knowing he was in her care.

"Before we go in, you gotta agree to something for me," she said.

"Well, you're already holding me hostage in my own house so I can't really refuse one way or another."

Sakura smiled. "You've gotta do whatever I tell you. When to take your medicine, when to rest, when to let me heal you. I'm the medic, so what I say goes. Got it?"

Kakashi propped himself on one crutch and saluted her. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good."

With that, she opened the door and ushered him inside. Slowly, he hobbled into the living room and glanced around.

"This is much better," he remarked.

Sakura eyed the small apartment, blinds closed tight and barely a picture on the walls. It was depressing, to say the least.

"You sure about that?" she replied.

If her comment had any effect on him, he didn't show it. He simply continued through the apartment, being as standoffish as ever.

"Let me help you to the bedroom," Sakura said as she pointed down the hall.

Kakashi turned and started to protest, but she held up a hand to stop him.

"Whatever I say goes, remember?"

"I don't want to be a burden to you, Sakura."

"Kakashi," she sighed. "You are not and never will be a burden to me. Ever."

He was silent as she placed a hand on his back, gently nudging him down the hall to his room. It was only when she opened the door and gestured for him to enter that he seemed to snap out of his daze.

It felt very strange to be in Kakashi's bedroom. Just like him, it was the epitome of practicality and minimalism—except for the green shuriken-dotted blanket on his bed, which Sakura found kind of cute. Everything about the tiny space seemed to reflect his essence.

"Come here," she said, unfolding the covers and patting the mattress beneath.

Warily, Kakashi struggled over to the bed and allowed Sakura to take his crutches. He sat at the edge of the mattress and stared at her.

"You gotta lay down, Kakashi."

"What for?"

"I'm going to do a healing session on you, idiot."

Kakashi stared at her a bit longer before finally laying back. He winced in pain as Sakura helped him the rest of the way down until his head hit the pillow, and then he let out a harsh breath.

"It'll be okay," Sakura reassured him. She squeezed his hand and, to her surprise, he squeezed hers back. "I'm just going to lift up your shirt, okay?"

Kakashi closed his eyes and nodded. Now that he was in his own bed, he seemed totally resigned—all the fight had left him, and Sakura wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not. Regardless, she carefully rolled up the fabric of his shirt until his chest and stomach were exposed to her. Her eyes wandered over the map of knotted muscles, scars, and burn marks along his body, and she tried to convince herself she was staring purely from a medical perspective, but she also had to admit Kakashi was one of the fittest ninja she had ever seen.

She briefly glanced at his face, which in that moment was perfectly serene. His chest slowly lifted and fell with each breath, and as she watched, she could feel herself begin to relax as well.

Gently, Sakura placed her hands against his ribcage, and her fingers began to glow with a soft green light. Kakashi let out the smallest of sighs as her chakra poured into his body, slowly mending the burns along his skin and his internal contusions, which Sakura could easily pinpoint despite how exhausted she was. She worked on the area for a while, Kakashi breathing steadily beneath her palms and not uttering a single word the entire time. When she finally finished the session and pulled away, she realized he had been staring at her.

"You're really good at that," he muttered.

Sakura felt a faint blush color her cheeks, although she wasn't sure Kakashi had meant it the way she had taken it. Quickly, she turned away before he could read her expression. "So…what happened that day, Kakashi? When your mission went bad?"

He paused so long Sakura thought he wasn't going to answer. But then he sighed and murmured, "I was in the main weapons chamber, retrieving a stolen sword, when I was…intercepted."

"Intercepted?" she echoed. "By who?"

Kakashi only stared at her.

"Kakashi?"

"Don't worry about it, Sakura."

She blinked at him. "Why won't you—?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"But—"

"Sakura," he snapped.

She fell silent.

"Please." Kakashi took a slow breath, lowering his voice. "Just drop it."

"Okay…fine." Sakura felt her face flush with anger as she quietly rose to her feet. "Get some rest then."

"Hey."

He managed to grab her hand before she could slip away, and reluctantly, she looked back at him. His dark eyes wandered over her face, almost worryingly, but Sakura knew he wasn't going to tell her what was on his mind.

"Thank you," he murmured. "I mean it."

Sakura forced a small nod, though the thought that he was hiding something made her heart squeeze in her chest. She had really hoped that after everything they could start being more open with each other, but it seemed teaching an old dog new tricks was just as impossible as people said. Kakashi wasn't going to change. He made that perfectly clear.

"You're welcome."

With that, she withdrew her hand and stalked away.


	9. Chapter 9

Kakashi Hatake was probably the worst patient a medic could have. He huffed and whined and grumbled ad nauseum—especially when Sakura did things like fluff his pillows or fold his laundry or cook for him, which in his words 'made him feel like he was stuck in an old person's home.' He refused to take his meds, even though he was clearly in severe pain and far worse off without them, and Sakura had to practically threaten to staple him to his bed just to get him to rest. She had quickly discovered that despite the passive facade he wore day to day, he was actually a very stubborn man; it was no wonder he dedicated his life to being a ninja. Everything was a battle to him.

To try and remedy some of his restlessness, Sakura had left every possible copy of Icha Icha on his bedside table, which had helped a bit, but even that wasn't able to keep him occupied for long. Soon, every ounce of his boredom was funneled toward the only target that was readily available to him: Sakura.

If Kakashi wasn't constantly poking around the kitchen, sniffing and eyeing the ingredients Sakura used in her recipes when she cooked at his place, he was purposefully cluttering up the apartment just to divert her attention from him (since he seemed well aware that Sakura was a type A and couldn't stop herself from reorganizing everything). He also had a habit of sneaking out the windows when she wasn't looking, which only resulted in him collapsing a few yards down the road and Sakura hauling him back to his apartment like a wounded animal. His antics were almost enough to earn him a Tsunade-style beating, save for the fact that Sakura _did _still feel some level of sympathy for him and _didn't _want to send him into another four-day coma. But Kakashi was really testing her.

Unfortunately for him, she wasn't so easy to get rid of.

One evening, on her trip back from the market, Sakura was ready for Kakashi's usual homestuck badgering; she had grown quite accustomed to it, actually, but being the anticipatory man he was, Kakashi was probably already devising newer, even smarter ways to pester the life out of her. He probably had it in his mind that he would shoo her away by the end of the week, possibly sooner—since he _was _overly confident like that. Still, Sakura was going to put up a fight, she inwardly reminded herself as she approached his front step, steeling herself like she was heading into battle. But when she opened the door and entered the apartment, she immediately sensed something was off.

Sakura stood at the threshold and waited. Only seconds passed before she heard a heavy-footed shuffling in the kitchen, and it didn't take her long to realize it was not Kakashi. She silently glanced around the apartment; everything was still in its place, which meant whoever the person was, they clearly had not come to steal. They wanted something else.

Careful not to make any noise, Sakura set her grocery bags down, pulled out the kunai that was strapped to her leg, and crept forward, inch by inch. There was a small section of wall that separated her from the intruder, but as she neared, she could sense a flare of chakra that gave her a strong suspicion it was a man. A large one, at that.

Just as she was formulating her next move, the shuffling sound stopped. Sakura paused and held her breath.

In the next instant, the sound of shattering glass exploded through the apartment, and Sakura bolted into the kitchen. A broken window was the only sign that anyone had been there.

For a moment, Sakura stood frozen in place. Everything had happened so fast that it almost felt like a hallucination. She was dumbfounded. Shifting toward the window, she glanced outside for any trace of the man, but as she expected, he was gone.

It was in that instant that her thoughts finally snapped to Kakashi and panic coursed through her veins. She suddenly feared she had arrived too late.

Turning on her heel, she dashed to his room and threw open the door. As usual, the space was bathed in darkness, but as her eyes adjusted, she realized Kakashi's bed was empty. Before Sakura could even open her mouth to call for him, a firm arm clamped around her torso and slammed her against the wall. Within a matter of seconds, she felt a blade against her throat and looked up to see a pair of dark eyes glaring down at her.

It took Kakashi a moment to register her face, and then the spark in his gaze instantly faded. He dropped the knife.

"Oh," he muttered. "It's you."

"Who the hell was that?"

"I don't know."

Sakura stared at him. Every muscle in his face and neck seemed taut, and he didn't directly look at her.

"I think you do."

Kakashi blinked. He was close enough for Sakura to see a flash of worry in his expression, and she knew she had struck a chord. Her gaze softened as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Talk to me."

She could see the cogs working in his head as he silently deliberated. Clearly, he wanted to tell her something, but he felt like he couldn't. Maybe he didn't think she could handle it. Or maybe, for whatever reason, he felt like she wasn't someone he could confide in.

The thought made Sakura's heart sink.

"Please?" she added feebly.

She waited, but Kakashi showed no signs of opening up—or moving . He still had her against the wall, and she started to feel like his touch was burning a hole through her skin. A flush crept over her face as she poked him in the chest.

"Are you gonna let me go?"

He seemed to finally realize what he was doing and dazedly stepped back.

"Let's seal up every possible entrance so he can't break in again," Sakura suggested.

"I don't think that's going to make a difference."

"Why?"

"I had a seal on the balcony window but that guy still managed to break in."

Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "Okay. Well, humor me, alright? We'll make more seals, and they'll be stronger this time."

"Fine."

Together, they went about securing all the windows and doors with their combined chakra, although in the back of her mind Sakura was just as doubtful that it would do any good. Kakashi was a known master of fuinjutsu; if the intruder had been experienced enough to overpower his seals, it wasn't likely he would be deterred by them again, but hopefully, Sakura's chakra was enough to amplify the strength of the seals, if only a little. Offhandedly, she had to wonder why Kakashi hadn't thought to heighten his own security before. Being the notorious copy nin of the Leaf, he surely had a colorful assortment of enemies who would have loved to choke him out in his sleep. It was a wonder his carelessness hadn't gotten him killed yet.

Once they were finished, Sakura led a very reluctant Kakashi to the living room and they sat down on the couch.

"There are people after you, aren't there?" she asked bluntly. By now, she was extremely tired of Kakashi beating around the bush, and she wanted answers. She wanted the truth.

He paused, his mouth a firm impression behind his mask, and his silence was enough of an answer.

Sakura thought for a moment. Her brow tensed as she gripped the edge of the couch. "The hospital…" —she began— "...that fire wasn't an accident, was it?"

Kakashi lowered his gaze. "I don't think so."

"Someone knew you were there. That's why the fire started on the upper floors where your room was." Sakura paused to process what she had said, and then frowned at Kakashi. "But you already had a feeling that's what happened, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

"Did you bother telling Tsunade?"

"No."

"So, just like last time you're keeping everything to yourself? Honestly, Kakashi—" Sakura broke off with a sharp sigh. She could feel her hands trembling—from anger or fear, she couldn't tell.

"I'm the only person they're after," Kakashi went on. "That day when I left the hospital…I was trying to get out of town. Lure them away. I didn't want to endanger everyone any more than I already had. I shouldn't even be here right now."

"You really thought you could deal with this all by yourself?" Sakura countered incredulously. "In the state that you're in?"

He didn't answer.

"Tell me who they are."

Again, he didn't answer.

Without a thought, Sakura grabbed his shoulders and forced him to look at her. To her surprise, he didn't fight back. "Tell me."

Gently, Kakashi's hands moved to cover hers, pulling her fingers loose from his shirt as a deep wariness filled his eyes. He searched her face for a moment until he seemed to come to a silent conclusion, and then, as if they were made of glass, he carefully lowered Sakura's hands onto the couch.

"It was the Red Lotus," he muttered finally.

Sakura blinked. "You mean those guys from that mission a few months ago?"

Kakashi nodded solemnly. "I think they've decided I know too much about them, and I'm sure they're pissed about that demon's essence being yanked out of me instead of returned to them."

"So, what, they're just going to kill you now?"

"Either that, or try to turn me into one of them."

Sakura fell back against the couch. "As if a world full of jinchuuriki isn't enough. Seriously, what is up with these guys?"

Kakashi folded his arms across his chest and leaned next to her. "I don't know."

"Well, I'm fully involved now, and I'm going to help you deal with this."

"Sakura…"

"I mean it. You helped me when they were going to kill me. Now I'm returning the favor."

"Don't take this the wrong way," Kakashi murmured—and the tone of his voice told Sakura that she most definitely would take it the wrong way—"but I'm not sure there's anything you can do."

"Yes, there is." Sakura jolted back up. "We just have to figure it out. Together."

Kakashi looked at her, and in an instant, he seemed to grow incredibly tired. Unconsciously, he moved a hand to his ribs, a pained sigh passing through his mask. Noticing this, Sakura placed her palm over the back of his hand.

"Need me to heal you?" she asked, her voice quiet.

"Not right now."

She didn't move her hand away, and Kakashi didn't say anything. They sat like that for a few minutes before he spoke again.

"You're too stubborn for your own good."

Sakura scoffed. "I'm a ninja."

"Still…"

"Still what?"

"If you go looking for danger, it will find you."

"I don't care, Kakashi. You're my teammate and my friend. I can't just sit by while those men try to murder you."

"I wish you would."

"Stop it." Knowing Kakashi would probably keep talking in circles for hours if Sakura let him, she took a deep breath and continued, "If we're going to solve this, you gotta tell me everything that was in that file you stole from the palace, and I mean everything. Not just the bits and pieces you told me before."

Kakashi's gaze flicked over her, dismissively. "I never accepted your part in this."

"Too bad."

"I'm serious. I'm not dragging you any further into this, Sakura."

She stared at him, and for a split second, every fiber of her being longed to smack him upside the head. He definitely deserved it. But, luckily for Kakashi, the urge subsided and Sakura shot to her feet instead.

"Fine. You wanna be like that?" she spat, twisting on her heel and marching toward the door. "I'll just go find out for myself."

"What? No. Sakura, where are you going?"

Sakura heard Kakashi grunt in pain as he struggled to stand up and scramble after her. Without thinking, she almost scolded him for straining himself, but her anger kept her silent as she grabbed the doorknob and twisted it so hard she heard the metal crack. Almost as soon as the door opened, however, Kakashi's hand shot out from behind her and slammed it shut. He grabbed Sakura's shoulders and forced her to face him.

"Sakura, don't."

She glared up at him. "Let me go."

"No."

She made a _tsk _sound through her teeth. "News flash, Kakashi—you're not in the best shape right now," —she made a sweeping gesture toward his body— "you probably shouldn't make me mad. I'm the only medic who's patient enough to deal with you."

"I never asked for your help."

"Well, too bad. I never asked you to go out on your own and steal those documents from the daimyo. You just went and did what you wanted. Why can't I do the same?"

She saw his jaw tense under his mask as he glanced at the ceiling. "That was different."

"How?"

"It just was."

Sakura let out a dry chuckle. "See? You can't even justify your own actions. How can you try to dictate mine?"

"That's not—ugh—" Kakashi raked a hand through his hair— "I don't understand why you're being so—"

"So what?" Sakura planted her hands on her hips. "Disobedient? Are you upset your little student grew up and you can't boss her around anymore? Is that it Kakashi?"

"God, no!"

Sakura flinched as Kakashi lurched forward and slammed his hands against the door, caging her in. When she looked up, she saw anger flaring in his eyes. His breath was slightly ragged, and a more rational part of Sakura told her it was unwise to rile him up while he was so badly injured. Another part of her didn't care.

They glared at each other for what felt like an eternity, mere inches apart and equally unrelenting of the other's space. Sakura could feel the warmth of Kakashi's breath as it puffed through his mask and feathered her face. She was too angry to think about how close they were. Too distracted by how punchable Kakashi was and how her fist was already curling into a ball thinking about it. But after a few seconds, something shifted in Kakashi's eyes. He glanced at her lips, which she realized were just a breath away from his, barred only by the thin layer of navy cloth that covered his face, and then she _did _think about how close they were—too close. Suddenly, the position they were in seemed to take on a whole new meaning.

Sakura froze.

Like a dream coming back to the surface, she recalled that day in the forest. When Kakashi had kissed her for the first time. When he had touched her.

Sakura's body thrilled at the thought, against her better judgment, against her will. She felt a glimmer of that irresistible tug that had enveloped her that day—that sensation like gravity pulling at her very center.

But that was impossible.

Sakura internally shook her head. She and Kakashi had both been freed from the demon. What she was feeling now…it didn't make sense.

Unless…

Was it possible that some inkling of the demon's essence remained? Like a pain that echoed months after a wound had healed?

No. It couldn't be…

In the moment of her realization, Kakashi's arms slackened against the door. Sakura's heart skipped a beat as he seemed to lean closer, his gaze heavy with a look she couldn't describe, only for the heat of his body to retreat seconds later.

There was a long pause before either of them spoke.

"Don't do anything rash, Sakura," Kakashi muttered. "Just…hold on. Please. We'll talk about it later."

Sakura was too stunned to argue. Clearly, they were both going to pretend that whatever had just happened hadn't happened. It took her a moment to find her voice again.

"Okay," she whispered.

* * *

Despite what Kakashi had said, they didn't talk about the Red Lotus later that day, the next day, or the day after. Given the circumstances, Sakura had decided not to press the matter further—at least not yet. Instead, she had focused on healing Kakashi. A newfound determination had risen to the surface, partly because it was a nice distraction from certain _uncomfortable _thoughts that were fighting to break through the wall she had built in her psyche, and partly because she hated the thought of Kakashi not being at full fighting capacity. Now that she knew an entire criminal gang was after him, she needed to ensure he was in the best shape to defend himself—although Kakashi, self-deprecating ass that he was, didn't seem worried for his own safety at all. If anything, he was more concerned about Sakura getting caught in the crosshairs. It was annoying.

Sure enough, after only a few more treatments, Kakashi had begun to show remarkable signs of recovery. It had gotten to the point where he could start taking walks outside and accompanying Sakura on short errands. He claimed his muscles were still sore and he couldn't twist his body at certain angles, but Sakura could tell he was almost in fighting shape again—which kind of worried her, if she were being honest. It meant he would probably try to run off again like that day at the hospital—maybe disappear in a cloud of leaves when Sakura had her back turned and leave a double behind so she wouldn't go looking for him. It definitely would be in Kakashi's style to do so.

It was her nagging fear that finally forced Sakura to confront him one morning as they were walking through the empty field behind his apartment.

"So, are you going to tell me?"

Kakashi had been aimlessly poking the ground with a stick as they walked, but when she spoke, he propped it over his shoulder and glanced at her. "Tell you what?"

"Why the Red Lotus are so threatened by you. What exactly do you know that you aren't telling me?"

Kakashi glanced off in the distance and sighed. "Sakura."

"Kakashi."

"We've been over this."

"Hey," —Sakura stopped abruptly and turned toward him— "you said we would discuss it later. Well, it's later."

"That was just to keep you from running off and doing something stupid."

Scowling, Sakura poked him in the side.

Kakashi flinched. "Ouch. What was that for?"

"Being a selfish dumbass."

"Fair enough."

Without another word, Kakashi continued walking and poking the ground with his stick. Sakura stared at the back of his head and seriously considered tackling him, until a better idea surfaced in her mind.

Quickly, she caught up to him.

Kakashi seemed to notice her change in mood as she skipped forward with her hands behind her back and her chin in the air. He squinted at her.

"What now?"

"I've got a proposal for you," she stated.

"I'm flattered, truly, but I don't think I'm the marrying type."

"Very funny. Will you just listen to me for once?"

"Fine, fine."

Sakura took a breath before continuing, "I was thinking…you seem well enough to get back to training. How about we play a little game?"

Kakashi arched an eyebrow at her. "A game?"

"Yeah."

"What kind of game?"

"Your favorite game—the bell game."

Kakashi stopped in his tracks. "Okay, first off, that's not a game. That's a training techni—"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Sakura interrupted him with a grin. "I think it would be a great way to test your recovery."

"I thought you hated that exercise."

"I do, but I thought of a little twist."

Kakashi seemed slightly intrigued. "Which is?"

"_ You _have to take the bells from _me _. If you win, I'll drop the subject and let you handle the Red Lotus by yourself. If I win, you have to tell me everything you know and let me help you investigate them." Sakura paused to stare up at Kakashi, giving her best attempt at a pleasant smile. "What do you say?"

To her surprise, Kakashi's eyes squinted in amusement. "Alright."

"Alright?" she repeated. "Wow, that was easy."

"That's because I know you won't win."

Sakura gave him a light shove. "Okay, now you're really in for it."

He shoved her back. "Good."

* * *

They met in the outermost training field at sundown. Uncoincidentally, it had been Team Seven's favorite spot, but Sakura hadn't just chosen it for memory's sake; it happened to offer the best obstacles of any other area. There was a small outcropping of rocks on one side of the field, the forest and river on another, and the lake wasn't much further on. She had wanted to ensure the best possible terrain for she and Kakashi's little challenge, and she was sure she had found it. Sakura was more than ready to beat him at his own game. She was practically bursting at the seams with energy.

Kakashi, on the other hand, looked like he had just rolled out of bed as he approached her from the other end of the field. He had his head bent over his favorite orange book as he walked, one of his hands buried deep in his pocket. Sakura wondered offhandedly if he touched himself while he read those dirty novels—and then immediately banished the thought from her mind.

Kakashi stopped in front of her and neatly tucked the book away.

"Why are you blushing?"

"I'm not. It's a sunburn," she lied.

"Hm. Well, are you ready to get your ass kicked?"

"Excuse me?"

Kakashi smirked as he pulled a pair of golden bells from his pocket and dangled them in the air. "I brought these."

Sakura reached out, but before she could grab them, he pulled his hand back. She blinked, and already she could imagine the smug grin that was hiding behind his mask.

"Gotta be quicker if you expect any chance of beating me," he said.

"Kakashi, we're switching roles today, remember?"

He tilted his head. "I can hardly picture you walking around reading porn in public."

Sakura let out a sharp sigh and flashed forward to yank the bells from Kakashi's grasp. This time, he let her have them.

"You seem a little tense, Sakura," he teased.

"You seem too relaxed," she countered. "And it's gonna bite you in the ass."

"We'll see."

Sighing, Sakura glanced at the horizon. The sun was just hovering over the trees, painting their branches in a dusty orange light. She turned back to Kakashi and fastened the bells to her waist.

"You know the rules: if you take the bells from me before nightfall, you win. If you don't, you lose."

"Got it."

Sakura nodded. "Ready?"

Kakashi held his arm out to her. "After you."

They stared at each other for a long, tense moment, the muscles in Sakura's legs slowly coiling in anticipation. She felt like a cat ready to pounce as Kakashi waited in calm, prepared silence. Then, in the blink of an eye, she took off, bolting toward the trees at breakneck speed with the bells jingling loudly at her side. She didn't glance back, but she knew Kakashi was right on her heels and quickly closing in. Even in his current state, Sakura had expected as much from him, so she reined in all her strength and propelled herself further. As her heart pounded against her ribs, urging her feet onward like her life depended on it, she resolved to beat Kakashi and prove herself to him once and for all. This time, there was no room for failure. One way or another, Kakashi would be forced to accept defeat and give in to her wishes. She would make damn well sure of it.


	10. Chapter 10

Sakura balanced carefully on the edge of the tree branch, her chakra gathered in the balls of her feet so she could quickly jump away if need be. She kept a kunai poised readily in her hand as the sun slowly crept toward the horizon. There was still no sign of Kakashi. She had lost him a few yards back by tricking him with a shadow clone—a feat she wouldn't have been able to pull off if he still possessed his sharingan. Still, she wasn't about to underestimate him. Kakashi was a ninja several classes ahead of her and she knew that, which meant she needed to stay on guard at all times. The famous copy nin still had many tricks up his sleeve.

The distant hoot of an owl and a cluster of chirping crickets were the only sounds that permeated the humid summer air. Not that Kakashi was likely to make any noise if he were to approach her. He was swift and silent, a testament to the fact that he was one of Tsunade's top picks when it came to ambush or assassination missions. At least Sakura was prepared for him; her senses were on high alert, and she continually searched for his chakra among the deep foliage that surrounded her. He was not going to take her by surprise—that was for sure.

Vaguely, Sakura wondered how bored Kakashi must have been in the old days, waiting around for a bunch of genin to find and attack him. She recalled several instances of Naruto flailing around whilst Kakashi simply read his Icha Icha and deflected him like he were nothing more than a pesky fly.

Now, Naruto had begun serious training to become Hokage, and Sakura was working to carry on Lady Tsunade's legacy. Though they both still had room to grow, they had also become stronger in many ways. Things really had changed since then.

Sakura jolted when she heard a faint sound a few feet to her right. She gripped her kunai tighter and poised in anticipation. A few minutes of silence stretched on, and then something shot through the trees, aiming directly at her. She jumped out of the way just in time to avoid it, and when it shot out again, she realized it was a strip of binding. She guessed this was Kakashi's attempt at being creative, infusing his wrappings with chakra so he could catch her from a distance and then swaddle her in a cocoon so she couldn't move. It was a trick he had copied from Lee many moons ago.

Smart. But it wasn't going to work.

Swiftly, Sakura swung off a tree branch and soared over the forest floor, landing a few yards away. From there, she bounded from branch to branch, all while sensing Kakashi's pursuit. He was still keeping his distance, and Sakura didn't know whether to be wary or relieved by that. He definitely had something planned.

Sakura maintained a spontaneous zigzag pattern as she traveled through the trees. Kakashi kept up with her until she threw a kunai in his direction, distracting him so she could drop to the forest floor and sprint away. She headed in the direction of the cliffs, knowing she could easily hide there and gain the advantage over Kakashi when he showed up. All it would take was a good hard punch and she could trap him in a splintered prison of rock. He would likely use an earth style jutsu to escape, but at least that would buy her some time.

When Sakura reached the cliffside and climbed to a high enough vantage point, Kakashi had once again pulled a vanishing act. She would like to believe she had simply lost him, but Sakura knew that was a senseless hope. She crouched down in the cool shadows and waited, a bead of sweat slowly rolling down her back. After a few minutes, she started to cramp up and decided to ease her head out of the rocks to look around.

"Ah, you want to play whack-a-mole now?" an all too arrogant voice spoke from above.

Sakura craned her neck to see Kakashi's silhouette against the backdrop of the setting sun. He was so irritatingly calm as he watched her, waiting for her next move.

Without a word, Sakura flashed out of her hiding place and ran down the cliff face, the soles of her feet loaded with chakra. A tingle on her neck told her Kakashi was right behind her. Abruptly, she twisted in an arc and, with a split second of preparation, slammed her fist into the rock, splintering it in a million pieces. She heard a satisfying gasp from her former teammate as he was blocked from her path, and with that distraction, Sakura dashed away.

When she landed in the grass, Sakura wasted no time in finding another hiding spot. A quick glance led her southward, where the land sloped and the brush was more dense. At first thought, an excess of vegetation seemed like a possible downfall, but anything that could buffer Kakashi's pursuit in any way would likely aid her own mission. Besides, with such an unlikely hiding spot, it would probably take him awhile to find her.

With that in mind, Sakura sprinted across the landscape, ducking behind random shrubs and trees on her way. Eventually, she chose her hiding spot at the base of a massive oak tree that was shrouded in vines. There was a stream nearby, and she hoped the smell of the water was enough to hide her scent. She realized belatedly that she hadn't told Kakashi he wouldn't be allowed to use his ninken, so it was better to be safe than sorry—although it was also possible that Kakashi's sense of smell was nearly as good as a dog's anyway. Sakura frowned and tried to put the thought out of her mind.

Gradually, the sky darkened until the sun dipped below the earth, leaving just the faintest orange and purple streaks across the horizon. Sakura's jaw tightened as she counted the seconds that passed, waiting. Just a bit longer and then—

In the blink of an eye, something stirred just beneath Sakura's feet, as if the ground were humming beneath her. She didn't have time to think, let alone jump out of the way before several solid chunks of earth jutted out and pinned her arms to her sides, rendering her hands useless. Sakura cursed as Kakashi appeared seconds later and casually strolled up to her.

"Yo."

"How long were you skulking around waiting to do that?"

"A while."

"You're impossible."

Kakashi didn't answer as he neared, clearly not wanting to prolong the matter any further. Sakura's heart pounded as she watched his hand slip through a gap in the rocks that restrained her, reaching for the bells. She heard a small jingle as his fingers made contact with her waist, and she clenched her jaw.

At that moment, her body reacted before her mind, and in a flash, she swung her leg around to kick him in the side—hard.

"Umph!"

Kakashi let out a pained grunt as he fell to his knees. Sakura flipped upside down, bracing her legs against the tree trunk and ripping her hands free of the rock, causing it to explode into a cloud of showering bits. With a rush of adrenaline pumping through her veins, she didn't think to check on Kakashi before she bolted through the woods. She was just too close, too focused on beating him, to entertain any other thoughts. Her legs screamed as she ran as hard and fast as she possibly could, the jingling bells at her hip a herald to her upcoming victory. She was _so _close. Just a little further…

A deep ridge came into view, scattered with dead logs and thorns and a tangle of wildflowers. Sakura spotted a fallen tree that stretched across the expanse like a natural bridge. If she could just make it across—

Right as the thought entered her mind, Sakura was hit with a force so strong it knocked the air out of her. A pair of arms squeezed her like a vise as the world spun at a million different angles, and then she and Kakashi were tumbling down the ravine. Thump, thump, thump. They landed with one final, heavy thud and stilled, panting in the silence that quickly fell over them like a shroud. It wasn't until Sakura blinked away her surprise that she realized Kakashi was on top of her.

He seemed to come to the same realization as his eyes slowly lowered. He had her hands pinned to the ground, his chest softly grazing hers with each labored breath. His warmth seemed to seep into her very bones.

They didn't move for several minutes, just staring.

And then Sakura snapped to her senses.

Kakashi read the intention that flashed through her eyes, but just as he shifted to rebut her attack, she landed a chakra-loaded blow to his torso with her knee. He huffed and fell over, freeing her from his grasp. With a grunt, Sakura rolled to her feet and started scrambling up the ravine, insistent on getting as far away from him as possible. She was just about to reach the edge when a hand grabbed her leg and pulled her back down.

"No!" she shrieked, swinging around and hitting Kakashi again until he stumbled back. Hastily, she pulled the bells from her waist and clutched them tightly in her palm. She would protect them with every last drop of strength—she vowed that to herself.

A surge of urgency pushed her a few steps further, but Kakashi caught her again and twisted his hands into the material of her vest, jerking her violently to the ground. A flare of anger swelled in Sakura's stomach, and as if on its own, her fist plunged forward and smacked Kakashi in the jaw.

"Agh!"

His head lurched to the side as a muffled shout escaped his lips. He gripped his face in pain, and Sakura took that as a chance to throw another punch.

_Pop! _

Kakashi caught her fist just in time, flesh cracking against flesh before he slammed it down, his hand clutching her wrist so tightly it would have hurt if she weren't so blinded by her determination. Sakura's heart thudded like a hammer against her ribs as she and Kakashi wrestled among the thorns, throwing up clods of dirt and leaves in their wake. Her desperation jabbed at her like a knife as she caught a glimpse of the last streaks of sunlight through the forest canopy, and suddenly, with a wave of panic, she realized she was losing.

"No! No! No!"

Sakura felt like a tantruming child as she squirmed against Kakashi, her heels digging into the dirt in a vain attempt to escape him. He let out small grunts of frustration, dodging her weary attempts at punching and kicking as he caged her in. He was strong, _too _strong, and Sakura was so _tired. _

Finally, after clawing his way up her body, Kakashi grasped the hand that held the bells and crushed her fingers in his, forcing them to curl open.

Sakura let out one last feeble yelp as he ripped the small metal orbs from her hold—and just like that, Kakashi stole away the last strand of hope she had been clinging to. The sun's treacherous rays were still beaming brightly in the sky, and if Sakura were a more superstitious person, she would have thought they were clinging to the horizon simply to bring about this horrible, devastating moment.

She had lost. Kakashi had won. And now he had no obligation to tell her anything. He would continue on with his secrets, and like always, Sakura would be left to scrounge for the truth in the darkness he left behind.

There was a small moment of silence, like an unspoken elegy for Sakura's utter failure, and then—because there was nothing left for her to do—she burst into tears.

Kakashi released her instantly. "Sakura?"

She didn't answer, her body racking with sobs as she curled in on herself and hid her face in the dirt. Wave after wave of disappointment, fear, and despair rolled over her, and in her turmoil, she felt the last strings of her self composure snap; the sudden burst of emotion simply took hold and refused to let go. At the back of her mind, her inner voice snapped at her to get ahold of herself, that she was bringing even more shame to an already embarrassing moment, while another part of her bathed in the release. It had been so long since she had cried so hard.

"Sakura…Sakura." There was a sudden panic in Kakashi's voice as he shook her shoulders. When she didn't respond, she heard him hurl the bells into the trees, cursing under his breath, before he dragged her into a half-sitting position. Sakura fell limp against his chest, drained of all resistance, as he clutched her tightly in his arms. "I'm sorry, Sakura. I'm so sorry."

He cupped the back of her head while she cried and cried, unable to stop even though she felt like the biggest baby in the world. She didn't know how much time went by as she sobbed into Kakashi's flak jacket while he muttered soft apologies into her hair. She should have been angry with him—furious even—but she wasn't. In fact, all she wanted was to be held and comforted and _seen _; that was all she had ever wanted from him.

After a while, Kakashi managed to slip his thumb under Sakura's chin and coax her to look at him. He searched her tear-streaked face with heavy eyes.

"I'll tell you everything."

Sakura blinked. "What?"

"I'll tell you everything you want to know," he said. Softly, his thumb grazed her jaw to wipe away a stray tear. "I haven't been fair to you about any of this. I see that now."

"Kakashi…"

He stared into her eyes for a long moment before letting out a tired sigh. "I need to show you something."

Before she could reply, he scooped her off the ground and flashed out of the ravine, and soon they were swallowed by the growing shadows of the forest.

* * *

"So…this was your house?"

Sakura could barely speak as she walked across the rotted, creaking floorboards of Kakashi's childhood home. Everything was covered in mold and grime and splintered holes, the windows were cracked or missing entirely, and there was a constant, damp draft flowing through each room. The entire complex bespoke several years of abandonment.

"Yep."

Kakashi's tone revealed nothing as he led her down a long, shadowy corridor, windowless and weathered by countless seasons of rain and snow. Sakura tried to picture him as a young kid, brimming with joy and energy as he traipsed down the very same hall so long ago, but it was nearly impossible.

"You said you had something to show me?"

Kakashi nodded. "It's in here."

With some effort, he pushed open a worn wooden door at the end of the hallway and ushered her inside. Sakura warily stepped into the room and glanced around.

"What is this?"

It was a fairly small room with slatted walls and rumpled tatami mats, with only one window on its southern-facing wall. Strangely, there was a pile of web-covered fighting dummies shoved into the corner.

"My father and I used it as a training room when I was young," Kakashi explained without looking at her. He walked across the room and shoved some boxes out of the way, and Sakura went over to see what he was doing.

Silently, Kakashi stooped down and pulled a board loose, then drew something out of the gap in the floor. At closer inspection, Sakura realized it was a lockbox—green and red with stylized plants painted on its smooth surface. There was also a small red fuinjutsu seal that told her it was protected by chakra. Kakashi did a quick, unreadable hand sign to release the seal, and then drew a tiny key out of his hip pouch to unlock the box. When he finally opened it, Sakura felt an immediate jolt at what was inside.

"You…you took that?" she stammered, eyes pinned to the shiny black stone that was placed almost innocently against a layer of red velvet. Her stomach lurched at the memory of it being used to rip the demon chakra from her body—the utter torment she knew it was capable of. She couldn't believe it was sitting right in front of her, so small and unassuming.

Reading her reaction, Kakashi closed the box. "I had to."

"Why?"

He let out a small sigh behind his mask, and immediately Sakura knew he was about to tell her something awful. She clenched her hands in anticipation.

"I…lied to you."

Sakura stared at him. "About what?"

"What I told you about finding a priest and having my half of the demon exorcised…" Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck. "That never happened."

Sakura felt her mouth fall open and then immediately snap shut. She gaped at him in disbelief. "Kakashi…"

"I know I shouldn't have told you that but I didn't want you to worry about me."

Sakura let out a bitter scoff. "Kakashi, I'm always worried about you. This just adds to the list."

His hand fell back to his lap, and he averted his gaze. "Still…"

"You told me that this 'passion demon' or whatever it's called can cause people to go mad," Sakura went on. "You can't just sit around and let it take residence in your body! You have to get rid of it."

"I know." He grabbed the lockbox and held it up. "That's why I took the stone."

"And that's why those guys are after you, isn't it?"

He nodded.

"So, you're going to use that dumb rock to exorcise yourself?" Sakura asked. She glanced dubiously at the box and shivered. She certainly didn't envy the pain Kakashi was going to endure.

"Well, that's the plan…" —Kakashi hesitated— "but there is one slight problem."

"Which is?"

He set the box back down and gave her a long, pointed look, one she had seen quite often on missions when things started to get dicey or complicated or just generally miserable. Of all his limited expressions, it was the least reassuring, so Sakura was not at all surprised by the next words that left his mouth.

"I have no idea how to use it."

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks for sticking with me, guys! Not gonna lie, fighting chapters are always the hardest to write but I think it came out pretty well. Also, I hope I don't get punched for my decision of making Sakura lose the bell test xD I thought it would be a little more interesting if Kakashi chose to tell her what she wanted regardless. That poor sap is becoming so weak for her...


	11. Chapter 11

Pain lanced through Sakura's body as the kunai twisted deeper into her gut. She was covered in sweat and grime, each breath even more laborious than the last. She could feel her lungs squeezing as the life slowly drained out of her. This was the end, she knew; she had been fighting for so long, but she couldn't fight forever.

Trembling, she squinted up at the tall dark figure that had attacked her. She could feel energy radiating off him in waves, a force so strong it made her heart stutter in her chest. Within the deep shadows, a silence encapsulated them, and Sakura cowered in anticipation of her inevitable demise. The knife twisted again and she cried out, but her attacker remained as unmoved as a block of stone. Sakura panted as a warmth trickled down her stomach, slowly pooling at her knees. The stench of her own blood wrapped around her like a cocoon.

Finally, a bright flash of lightning shot through the sky, and in that instant, Sakura caught a glimpse of spiky silver hair and eyes that burned like embers, gazing down on her with a hatred she couldn't describe.

And then, with her last breath, she tumbled into blackness.

Gasping, Sakura jolted up in bed, the remnants of her dream still flashing through her mind. Her hand moved to her side—only to find that it was perfectly unmarred.

"Just a dream," she panted. "It was just a dream."

With a steadying breath, Sakura glanced at the clock and then slid out of bed to wash up and get dressed. She would be a bit early for her shift at the ward, but she knew there was no point in trying to go back to sleep. After all, her concern for Kakashi would continue to rob her of any rest—just like it had the past few nights since he had told her his secret.

He was still harboring that demon's chakra.

The thought brought another flash of her dream to the surface, which Sakura quickly shook away.

A part of her insisted that she shouldn't be as worried as she was. After all, Naruto was a jinchuuriki and had been a host to Kurama his entire life. He had learned to handle the nine tail's power.

But then again, Kakashi's situation was a bit different. For one, neither of them knew very much about the 'passion demon' that was inside him. It also seemed that the demons which belonged to the Red Lotus operated by very different means than the tailed beasts.

In other words, both she and Kakashi were in the dark about how to deal with the matter.

All they had was that stone…

Sakura shivered, remembering the small black crystal that Kakashi had hidden away in his childhood home. Would they be able to discover how to use it? It wasn't the kind of thing that came with a set of instructions, after all.

Sakura had tried to remember what the cloaked man who had performed her exorcism had done, but her memory was ultimately clouded by pain and fear. In reality, she barely had any grip on what had happened that night.

Slipping into her shorts and a plain black tunic, Sakura tried to calm her racing thoughts. She and Kakashi just needed to make a plan. But for now, she had other things to focus on—namely, the patients that had been displaced by the hospital fire.

They were still being kept in the cramped spaces beneath Hokage Tower, although Tsunade had managed to send some to Tanigakure for the time being. Still, Sakura was anxious for repairs to be completed as soon as possible.

After throwing together a paltry bowl of instant oatmeal for breakfast, Sakura stepped into her nin sandals and slipped out the front door.

It had been raining a lot the past few days, and as she walked down the street, she could feel the residual moisture in the air. At such an early hour, the village was silent, save for the pit pat of droplets falling from the gutters and the occasional flutter of wings.

However, it wasn't long before Sakura sensed something in the stillness. Swiftly, she hurled a fist toward the person who had stepped behind her, and there was a loud smack as Genma caught her hand before it could connect with his face.

"Whoa, somebody's a little jumpy today," he said, lips spreading into a grin.

Sakura withdrew her hand and glared at him. "Well, maybe you shouldn't sneak up on people like that."

"Alright, you've got me there."

Without a reply, Sakura turned and continued walking. Genma fell in step beside her.

"Any reason you decided to bug me so early in the morning?" Sakura asked after a moment of silence.

"I was just heading to a meeting with Tsunade when I saw you. I figured we could walk together."

Sakura settled a little. "Oh."

"Is that alright?"

"Of course." Sakura flashed him a smile, suddenly feeling guilty for snapping at him. "Sorry, I guess I'm just stressed out."

"I can tell." Genma pulled a senbon out of his pocket and slipped it between his teeth. His posture was calm and relaxed as he walked, but Sakura thought she saw a trace of concern in his dark eyes. "Is it the hospital?"

"Partly."

Genma arched an eyebrow. "What else?"

"I can't say."

He looked like he wanted to press further, but instead, he dug his hands into his pockets and turned his gaze to the distance. "Alright."

Sakura felt a small wave of gratitude toward him for respecting her wishes. When it came down to it, Genma knew that sometimes ninja didn't want to talk about things, and he honored that. Despite his other, somewhat brash qualities, it was something about him that Sakura had always admired.

They were silent for the rest of their trek to Hokage Tower, but when they entered the front lobby and prepared to part ways, Genma gently tugged on Sakura's wrist. She stopped and looked up at him.

"Come by Shushu-ya when your shift is over."

Sakura frowned. "Why?"

"Because you need to take a load off," Genma replied matter-of-factly. "Some of the Jonin are getting together there tonight."

Sakura paused for a moment. She was about to refuse, but eventually settled on: "I'll think about it."

"Good."

With that, Genma gave her a casual salute and walked away, disappearing up the winding stairs to Tsunade's office. Sakura stared after him for a second before going on her own way.

* * *

Shushu-ya was fairly busy that night, its booths filled with both civilians and shinobi who had come to destress after a long day. Even Sakura had to admit the thought of a nice cup of sake had her shuffling a little faster toward the bar. However, before she could reach the other side of the room, a voice called out to her.

"Hey, Sakura!"

She turned around to see Genma waving at her from a booth on the far side of the pub. Seated with him were Kurenai, Anko, Ebisu, and Raido, whose reddened faces indicated they were already a few drinks in. Sakura waved back at him before ordering a drink for herself, and then she made her way over.

"Hey, cupcake!" Genma greeted a little too loudly as she slipped into the seat beside him. "Glad ya could show up."

The others raised their glasses in greeting and Sakura politely returned the gesture before turning to Genma. "I swear to god, you better not make me regret this," she hissed at him under her breath.

"Eyy, what are you talking about?"

"Remember last time we got drunk together?"

At that, Anko slammed her empty sake cup down. "Whoa, Genma. Did you put it in Haruno?"

"What? No!" Genma shouted, then turned to Sakura and lowered his voice. "I didn't…did I?"

Sakura scrunched up her nose. "Hell no! I'm talking about at the bonfire when you grabbed me and wouldn't put me down."

"Ah, that." The bright, toothy grin returned to his face as he propped an elbow onto the table. "Well, no worries. I promise to keep my hands to myself tonight."

"Good luck getting him to honor that," Anko muttered across the table and was promptly elbowed by Kurenai.

"Sorry, Sakura," the red-eyed woman murmured. "These two can be pretty insufferable sometimes."

"I'm sure I'll manage," Sakura replied, smiling. "I feel like I haven't seen you in ages, Kurenai. How is Mirai doing?"

"She's well. I managed to get Ino to babysit tonight."

"Really?" Sakura replied. "I never took Ino as the babysitting type."

Kurenai chuckled. "She is when it comes to Mirai."

"It's true," Raido spoke up while raising his sake cup to his lips. "The little thing has grown on all of us."

"Hmm," Ebisu hummed and nodded his agreement. "I can tell that girl is gonna be strong like her parents."

Kurenai let out a small chuckle at that, and soon enough, she and Ebisu broke into their own conversation about Mirai possibly training with him in the future. Meanwhile, Sakura leaned back and tried to relax. She had been on her feet all day, and the warming buzz of alcohol that spread through her body was a welcome relief.

"So, Sakura," Genma spoke up. "How are things holding up at the ward?"

"Alright," Sakura replied. "Of course, space is an issue and some of our equipment was damaged in the fire, but we're managing."

"Gas leak," Anko muttered against the rim of her cup "I don't buy it."

At that, Raido glanced at her. "What—you suspect foul play?"

Instantly, Sakura's pulse quickened.

"For a fire like that, yes. I've been around long enough to have a sense for these things."

"You've also been around long enough to become a paranoid ass," Genma countered, seeming to pick up on Sakura's distress. He took a sip of his sake before adding, "Accidents happen."

All Anko offered was a doubtful grunt.

"It seems repairs are going well at least," Raido interjected calmly.

Sakura nodded. "I'll be relieved when they're finished."

Just then, Genma looked up when the restaurant's doorbell jingled, alerting the arrival of a new customer. When he saw who it was, a wide smile brightened his features.

"Hey, Kakashi, come join us!"

For some reason, Sakura's heart palpitated at the sound of that name. She certainly hadn't expected to see Kakashi today, as he had gone on his first mission since recovering from his wounds. But if she were honest, she was relieved he had returned safely. After all, the Red Lotus was still after him, and his strength wasn't back to a hundred percent yet. Things could have gone a lot worse.

Kakashi eventually ambled up to their booth with a copy of Makeout Tactics in hand. He had foregone his hitai-ate and jonin vest in favor of his usual navy civilian shirt and pants. Sakura thought he looked pretty worn out, his skin pale and his eyes shadowed by dark circles, but when he finally took his nose out of his book and saw her, a look of surprise lit up his face.

"Ah, Sakura. What are you doing with a crowd like this?"

"Wow, way to make us sound like a bunch of hooligans," Genma muttered.

"Genma invited me," Sakura answered plainly.

Kakashi eyed the man in question as he tucked his book away. "Ah."

"Would you like to sit?" Sakura asked, gesturing toward the empty spot on her other side.

After a slight pause, Kakashi nodded and lowered himself beside her. Secretly, Sakura was warmed by the familiarity of his scent and his presence. Sure, she was well acquainted with Genma and the others, but like Kakashi had said, they weren't her normal 'crowd.' It felt nice to have him with her.

Sakura took the liberty of pouring Kakashi a cup of sake, which he accepted with a calm mutter of thanks before turning away from her to drink it. Inwardly, Sakura was annoyed that even an occasion such as this didn't warrant him revealing his face.

"So, how was your mission?" she asked, trying to keep her voice light.

"It went well," was his short response.

Sakura leaned back and sipped from her cup. "Good."

"Sakura," Genma interrupted with a light jab to her ribs. "Let's have a drinking competition."

Sakura laughed and turned back to him. "I don't think so."

"Aw, come on," Genma whined, curving his lips into a pout. He leaned in so close Sakura could smell the booze on his breath. "If you win, I'll give ya a kiss. How bout it?"

Before Sakura could respond, Kakashi flicked him in the forehead.

"Ouch." Genma's hand flew up to rub the spot. "What was that for?"

"There was a fly," Kakashi deadpanned.

Sakura raised her cup to hide her grin while Genma grumbled drunkenly to himself, adjusting his bandana.

The night progressed fairly well, to Sakura's surprise. Anko spent a majority of the time cracking perverted jokes while Raido tried desperately not to laugh. Sakura could tell by the twitching corners of his lips that it was no easy task. Meanwhile, Kurenai and Ebisu were lost in a discussion about the upcoming chunin exams and how quickly Konohamaru and his teammates had progressed in their training. As for Kakashi, he was silent for the duration of the night, except for the occasional comment he inserted when he found the conversation interesting. Sakura had also noticed that whenever Genma touched her or flirted with her, Kakashi's eyes sometimes drifted toward the other man. It was pretty clear he found Genma's forwardness annoying, but Sakura didn't know if it had anything to do with her specifically or it was just a matter of Genma having a grating personality. Still, by the end of the night, Sakura didn't miss the fact that Kakashi's arm had found a permanent position across the back of the booth behind her.

"I think I'm going to head out," she announced finally after her third cup of sake. Her head was swimming a little and the thought of a long, hot shower was tugging her toward the door. She was definitely ready to wind down for the night and get some rest.

To her surprise, Kakashi immediately stood. "I'll walk you home."

Sakura opened her mouth to argue, but something about the look in his eyes kept her from doing so. Instead, she offered a small nod. "Okay."

"See ya, Sakuraaa," Genma slurred with his head propped against the table. He offered her a sloppy wave before his hand dropped back down into his lap.

Sakura giggled and waved back. "Bye, Genma. Take it easy." She then gave her farewells to the others and followed Kakashi out of the pub.

They strolled down the darkening street in silence, the sound of their combined footsteps somehow soothing to Sakura's ears—and because she was a little tipsy and careless, she quietly slipped her arm through Kakashi's.

He glanced down at her but otherwise gave no reaction.

"Do you need a healing session?" she asked eventually, more so to start a conversation than for the sake of the question, since she already knew what his answer would be.

"No."

She glanced at his profile, eyes lingering over the smooth contour of his nose and lips through his mask. "How have you been holding up?"

"I think I should be asking you that."

Sakura blinked. "Why?"

"You've had a lot on your plate lately."

"Look who's talking," Sakura snorted. "But anyway, I can handle myself just fine."

"I know you can." Kakashi paused to gently guide her around a puddle. "Still, I want to know you're alright."

"I am."

A pause.

"Good."

A heavy silence fell between them, and it wasn't until they were about halfway to Sakura's apartment that she brought Kakashi to a stop in the middle of the road.

He gave her a questioning look. "What is it?"

"Let's hang out for a bit before I go home."

He didn't speak for a moment, then offered a small nod. "Alright."

Sakura smiled. "Come on."

With that, she tugged him down the street toward the southern border of the village. They found a spot in the grass not far from the base of Hokage Mountain, where the ground was elevated enough to offer a nice view of the village. Sakura sat down first and Kakashi followed suit, pulling Makeout Tactics back out of his hip pouch and opening it to the page where he had left off.

Sakura leaned back on her elbows, staring at the darkening sky. There were puffy gray clouds rolling in over the forest, heavy with rain, and she could smell the oncoming storm in the air—a crisp, cool scent that vaguely reminded her of the Land of Rivers. She glanced at Kakashi, who seemed to be lost in his own world, eyes squinted as they traced the lines of the page before him.

"You know," she began after a few minutes of silence, "you said something pretty weird when you were in that coma."

He glanced at her. "I did?"

"Yeah." She felt a small grin tugging at the corner of her mouth. "You said the word 'angel.'"

To her surprise, Kakashi seemed neither confused nor bothered by this. He simply shrugged his shoulders and returned his attention to his book.

"I probably thought I was dying or something."

That made Sakura frown. "You mean you thought an angel had come for you?"

"Maybe." He scratched the back of his neck and sighed.

Sakura fiddled with her hands, not sure whether to voice the thought that had drifted through her mind like a puff of smoke. Eventually, she decided she didn't care.

"I was the only one around at the time," she mused. "Did you… maybe think I was the angel?"

Kakashi smirked and paused for a long time. Finally, he replied, "I suppose it wouldn't be a far stretch."

Sakura felt a faint blush spread from her neck to her face. And then she decided to punch Kakashi.

"Ow." He frowned at her and rubbed his arm. "What was that for?"

"I'm a kunoichi," she said, feigning anger. "Not an angel."

"Maybe not in the sparkly, feathery sense," Kakashi countered, twiddling his fingers, "but in other ways…you are."

"What do you mean?"

He finally met her gaze, and something about the look in his eyes made her heart stop.

"You're a selfless person. You're always looking out for others, even when it pains you to do so."

Sakura didn't have any words. All she could do was stare at him. Did he really see her that way?

"That's what I envy the most about you."

Kakashi didn't give her the chance to scrape up a response. He simply stood and reached out to her.

"Let's head back. It's about to rain."

"Oh. Okay…"

Sakura took his hand and he helped her up, holding onto her a little longer than she had expected. Their eyes met, lingering briefly before they began their walk back to her apartment. They got about halfway before the clouds enveloped the sky and the first drops of precipitation came down.

"Damn," Sakura cursed. After only a few minutes, the dull pittering turned into a full downpour, and she and Kakashi hightailed it down the road. By the time they made it back to her place, they were soaked.

Sakura invited Kakashi inside to wait for the rain to die down. Meanwhile, she gave him a towel to dry off and went to her room to change into a pair of shorts and an old T-shirt she had stolen from Naruto. When she came back to the living room, Kakashi was sitting on the couch, his silver locks tangled and damp and hanging in his face. Somehow, it made him look even more handsome.

As she entered, he glanced up and it only took one second for Sakura to realize that she kind of looked like she wasn't wearing pants. She hadn't even thought about it, since this was how she normally dressed when she returned home from work. Still, she tried not to notice the way Kakashi stared at her legs a little too long as she made her way over to the couch.

As if to confirm what he was thinking, Kakashi squinted at her when she plopped down next to him. "Whose shirt is that?"

"Naruto's."

"Ah. Do you make a habit of borrowing his clothes?"

"Sure. Sai's, too."

Kakashi smirked. "Don't tell me you have one of those funny crop tops he wears?"

"Yep," Sakura grinned back. "You have to give it to him—he is pretty fashionable."

"Hm." Kakashi ran a hand through his hair. "I wouldn't know anything about that."

"True." Sakura reached out to pinch the damp material of Kakashi's shirt, not missing the way his gaze flickered over her hand as she did so. "Is this the only outfit you own?"

"No. Well, I have multiples of the same outfit, if that's what you mean."

"Hmm, practical as always," Sakura hummed. After a moment, she curled her legs beneath her and lay her head against the couch, listening to the harsh patter of raindrops on the roof. "Maybe I can add one of _your _shirts to my collection..."

Kakashi looked at her, and to her surprise, there was no hint of amusement on his face as he replied, "Maybe you can."

They stared at each other for a moment before Sakura forced her eyes away. Somehow, Kakashi was able to read her unlike anyone she had ever known.

Just then, a massive clap of lightning flared through the sky, lighting up the walls of the room. Sakura jumped, and instantly, she recalled the dream she had experienced that morning—Kakashi's reddened eyes glaring down at her as he plunged a kunai into her stomach while bright bolts of lightning flashed around him. It had both looked and felt extremely real, and the image was still strong in her mind.

Unconsciously, Sakura's hand moved to her side.

"Sakura? Are you alright?" Kakashi asked.

She took a moment to answer. "Yeah, fine. I was just wondering when the storm would let up."

Kakashi eyed her for a moment before glancing out the window. "It looks like it's just getting started."

"Ah."

"But if you want me to go now, I can—"

Kakashi looked like he was about to get up, but Sakura reached out to stop him. "No. I don't want you going out in that. How about we watch a movie while you wait for the storm to let up?"

Kakashi considered her offer and then slowly leaned back. "Sure."

With that, Sakura jumped off the couch and went to rummage through her small DVD collection. There was an embarrassing variety of romance movies—not that she thought Kakashi would mind, considering his Icha Icha obsession, but it definitely did not seem fitting for the current mood. Eventually, she settled on an old B rated action film and popped it into her TV. The bright flare of the screen lit up the room as an upbeat synthesizer brought in the opening credits, and with that, Sakura returned to her spot on the couch.

Kakashi remained silent for a big chunk of the movie, although some scenes were able to elicit a small chuckle from him that made Sakura's face warm. She had to admit she'd always loved the sound of Kakashi's laugh.

Eventually, as the storm raged on outside, Sakura felt her eyelids grow heavy. It didn't help that she had drunk a bit earlier and still felt a little woozy as a result. After a while, she wasn't able to keep her head up and somehow ended up resting it on Kakashi's shoulder. He didn't seem to mind—if anything, he started to lean into her, too—and it wasn't long before they both fell asleep on Sakura's couch, side by side as the rain pelted the windows and thunder rolled in the distance.


	12. Chapter 12

The only thing Sakura could focus on was the squirming, queasy feeling in her gut that had been there ever since Shizune had sought her out during her shift at the ward. She had told Sakura that Tsunade wished to speak with her, and by her tone, Sakura could only guess that the matter was serious. Still, she tried her best not to fabricate a million worst case scenarios in her head as she made her way to the woman's office.

When she reached the familiar, looming double doors, she was surprised to see Kakashi round the corner and nearly bump into her. He stopped, and they locked gazes.

Things had been a little awkward since they had fallen asleep together on Sakura's couch, but as with most things they weren't equipped to handle, they had immediately tried to pretend it hadn't happened. Almost as soon as he had awakened that morning, Kakashi had dashed out of her apartment while mumbling something about feeding his dogs, and in turn, Sakura had offered a hasty goodbye before getting ready for her day. At this point, it was just a given that she and Kakashi were going to be walking on eggshells until they both forgot about the incident—however long that would take.

"Ah. Did Tsunade summon you, too?" Kakashi asked casually.

Sakura nodded. "Do you know what this is about?"

"Nope."

In wordless unison, they turned toward the door, and Sakura rapped lightly on the solid wooden surface.

"Enter."

With that, Sakura pushed the door open and she and Kakashi walked into Tsunade's office to see Genma, Yamato, Naruto, and Sai gathered around her desk.

"Glad you two could make it," Tsunade muttered.

Sakura glanced around. "What is this about, Shishou?"

The woman eyed the two newcomers as she took a long sip of sake. There were already three empty bottles beside her. "I've got a mission for you."

Sakura could practically feel Naruto's excitement radiating off him as he turned to Tsunade. "I bet it's something big, isn't it? There's no way you woulda summoned all of us for some kinda scrub mission, right?"

"Well, it is a very…sensitive matter," Tsunade answered, slowly rising to her feet. She circled the desk and perched herself on its edge, peering at each of them until her eyes finally rested on Kakashi. "It seems the Fire Daimyo has suddenly changed his mind about sharing information regarding the Red Lotus with me."

Kakashi stiffened, and Sakura felt her heart flutter in her chest.

"Red Lotus?" Genma echoed, scratching his head. "Am I missing something?"

Tsunade threw him an impatient look. "The Red Lotus is the group I sent Kakashi to research a couple months ago," she explained.

"Ah. Those mind control freaks?"

Tsunade frowned. "Remind me to give you a debriefing later."

Genma merely smirked and flicked his senbon between his teeth. "I think I get the gist of it. They were the guys that made Kakashi and Sakura attack each other not long ago, right?"

Sakura and Kakashi shared a silent look at that. She could tell they were both equally guilty about that night, despite the fact that it hadn't been their fault. It was still painful to think about.

"Yes, well, it seems after Kakashi dissolved their main camp, they took some time to regroup," Tsunade continued, "and now there are reports of activity near the capital."

"What sort of activity?" Yamato spoke up, a mix of concern and interest in his eyes.

"Kidnappings mostly." Tsunade crossed her arms over her chest. "Some of the victims have been sent back to the city while imbued with demon chakra. The daimyo's council believes it is a sort of fear tactic to wreak havoc among the people."

Sakura swallowed. "That means anyone could be walking around with a demon inside them."

At that, Naruto crossed his arms and grumbled, "Hey, it ain't so bad. I've been doing it for years."

"Your relationship with Kurama is an entirely different matter, Naruto," Tsunade replied curtly. "We're talking about untamed, chaotic energies being released upon the general public. It's only a matter of time before this becomes a serious problem."

"So, what would you like us to do about it?" Sai interjected.

Tsunade let out a long sigh. "The daimyo has requested I send a top tier shinobi squad to quell the begin with, I'm making Kakashi leader of this group. He has the most experience and knowledge when it comes to the Red Lotus."

Sakura couldn't read the look in Kakashi's eyes as he offered a small bow in response. "Yes, ma'am."

"In two days time, you are to rendezvous with the daimyo's top advisors. You are then set to patrol the city and its surroundings, as well as to assist the investigation of the recent kidnappings. If anything should turn up, you must report back to the daimyo's council. I expect this mission to span anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. It is of the utmost importance that you bear an honorable representation of the Leaf while in the daimyo's presence. As with all missions—but especially this one—cutting corners or disobeying standard procedure will not be tolerated. Understood?"

In response, each ninja straightened their shoulders and hummed a resounding, "Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Good."

From there, Tsunade gave the group a long, thorough debriefing—mostly information about the Red Lotus which Kakashi had already shared with Sakura, or which Sakura had already learned from her terrifying firsthand experiences. Her departing words were a stern command for the team to work together and to follow Kakashi's orders, and then, with her message thoroughly pounded in, Tsunade dismissed the group.

"Everyone, get your affairs in order and meet me at the village gates in an hour. Then we'll head out," Kakashi spoke as they made their way downstairs.

"Yes, sir!" Naruto gave a dramatic salute and then hightailed it out of the building.

Sakura stared after his retreating form. She had a strong feeling he hadn't been on any interesting missions since their last encounter with the Red Lotus. It almost annoyed her how excited he was.

"Well, cupcake," —Genma's voice drew Sakura's attention as he walked up beside her— "I haven't worked with you in a long time. This should be fun."

He then paused and frowned, as if reconsidering his words.

"Well, as fun as hunting a bunch of demons and occultists can be, I guess."

Sakura scoffed at him. "Why don't you try being possessed sometime? I don't think you'd be cracking jokes."

"Hm, but maybe my demon would have a sense of humor?"

Without waiting for her reply, Genma tugged playfully on her braid and then strolled out of the tower with Sai and Yamato. Annoyed, Sakura stepped out after them and headed down the street in the direction of her apartment. She was lost in her thoughts for a few seconds until she felt a familiar presence glide up beside her. She glanced up to see Kakashi, whose eyes were etched with small worry lines. For a moment, she thought he was going to say something, but when he didn't, she decided to speak first.

"So, you're not going to tell Tsunade that you're still…?" she trailed off, but he clearly knew what she had meant to say.

"No. Not yet."

"When do you plan to?"

"I don't know."

Sakura frowned at him. "What about the fact that you're a target for the Red Lotus. Don't you think that will affect the mission?"

Kakashi looked down at her. "Let me worry about that."

In most instances, she would have argued with him, but today, for whatever reason, Sakura didn't quite feel up to it. Instead, she shoved her hands in her pockets and kicked a pebble down the road. They walked in silence for awhile until another thought popped into her head.

"Kakashi…"

"Hm."

"What does it feel like? Still having that demon chakra inside you, I mean. Doesn't it…I don't know…"

"Make me a little crazy?" Kakashi finished for her, a small spark in his gaze.

Sakura nudged him. "I'm serious. What if you go full psycho again and try to chidori someone?"

"I have it under control. Besides, now that half of the demon has been contained, I don't feel as strong of an influence anymore. Sometimes I forget about it completely."

"Still, there must be some triggers, right?" Sakura pushed. "You can't tell me it doesn't have any effect on you."

Kakashi's silence pricked at her like a thorn.

"It does…" he admitted finally.

Sakura raised her eyebrows. "In what way?"

Again, he fell silent and carefully deliberated his response. He then settled on a tiny shrug. "Certain feelings crop up at times. It's not unmanageable. It's just a bit…difficult."

"Feelings…?" Sakura echoed. "You mean anger? Aggression?"

"Sometimes."

"Like when? Give me an example."

Kakashi sighed, digging his hands in his pockets as he set his eyes on the distance. His discomfort was almost tangible, and it was clear that whatever he was wrestling with, it wasn't so easy to describe. Not that Kakashi was very good with voicing his thoughts to begin with.

Sakura stared at him, waiting.

"Like when Genma touches you."

Her eyes widened at that. Idly, her hand shifted to her braid, and she thought back to a few moments ago when the older jonin had tugged on it.

"Yeah," Kakashi said, as if reading her mind, "that definitely triggered something."

When Sakura spoke again, her voice came out a hushed whisper. Her pulse was so strong she could feel it in her ears. "You wanted to hurt Genma?"

Kakashi glanced at her, and though he didn't affirm her suspicion, his eyes revealed enough. "I wouldn't," he assured quickly. "It's just the kind of thought the demon likes to feed on."

Sakura lowered her gaze. "That's a little scary, Kakashi."

"I know."

A beat.

"Why does it make you angry when Genma touches me?"

Kakashi didn't answer. It was almost as if he hadn't heard the question, but Sakura decided not to ask again.

They walked on in silence until they reached a fork in the road. Kakashi stopped and Sakura followed suit, and for a few seconds, they simply stared at each other.

"I do have it under control, Sakura," he insisted.

"You say that, but…" she let her voice fade off, too scared to put words to what was swirling through her mind like a storm cloud. She had a feeling Kakashi already knew what she was thinking.

"Just trust me."

There was something in the depths of his gaze that consoled her, but at the same time, it sent a shiver down her spine to think that somewhere in there, a darkness totally separate from Kakashi's being stared back. Something neither of them fully understood.

And how could Kakashi control what he didn't understand?

With that thought, Sakura wrenched her eyes away and turned on her heel.

"I'll…see you later," she managed.

She could feel Kakashi staring after her as she flashed down the road and then disappeared.

* * *

The start of the team's journey was rather comfortable, the sun's golden rays beaming down on them as they passed through the richly green forest that surrounded Konoha. Naruto was his usual hyperactive self, Sai quietly sketched in his notebook as he walked, and Genma kept up a light conversation with Kakashi and Yamato at the front of the group. Even Sakura felt at ease amidst the colorful backdrop of the trees and the summery blue sky. But as soon as the sun sank toward the horizon and deep shadows began to stretch over the footpath, everyone's mood seemed to shift.

Upon nightfall, the forest was filled with the sounds of chirping crickets and scuffling animals, and yet there was a layer of hushed silence beneath that was almost eerie. Sakura felt herself shift a little closer to Naruto as she walked.

In his usual manner of pointing out the obvious, Naruto scratched his head and grumbled, "Man, something is giving me the serious creeps right now."

Sai glanced at him. "Are you constipated?"

"What?" Naruto spluttered. "No, dude. What the hell kind of random question is that?"

"Well, I read once that—"

"No one wants to know, Sai," Sakura quickly cut him off, throwing him a sharp look before returning her attention to Naruto. "Anyway, I know what you mean. I'm getting the creeps, too."

"There are a lot of strange creatures roaming around the woods this time of year," Yamato offered. "That's probably it."

Sakura hummed in agreement, although she couldn't quite stifle the feeling that was slowly rising in her chest. There was definitely something in the air that didn't feel quite right. She couldn't place it.

The team progressed in silence for about an hour before Kakashi led them to a shrouded spot near a stream. He tossed his pack on the ground and muttered, "We'll camp here."

Following suit, everyone dropped their supplies.

"It may rain, Senpai," Yamato remarked. "Shall I set up a few tents?"

Kakashi nodded. "Go ahead."

With that, Yamato formed the hand sign for his mokuton, and like magic, three earthen shelters cropped up from the ground. Sakura gazed at the man with a mix of awe and envy. His skill completely eliminated the hassle of having to set up and then dismantle the standard issue shinobi tents that were normally used on missions. It was pretty damn convenient, and she kind of wished she went on more missions with him because of it.

"Thank you, Captain," Sakura hummed as she ducked into one of the shelters.

"Of course." A look of satisfaction crossed Yamato's face until he saw Naruto trying to go in after Sakura. Roughly, the older ninja grabbed the jinchuuriki by the scruff and barked, "Where do you think you're going? Sakura-chan gets her own tent."

"Ah, come on," Naruto grumbled. Regardless, he heeded the captain's orders and promptly turned toward a separate shelter with Sai.

With that taken care of, Yamato turned to Kakashi. "Would you like me on the first night shift?"

"No, I'll take care of it," Kakashi replied. "Get some rest."

Bowing, Yamato turned and disappeared into the third shelter with Genma. From the shade of her own tent, Sakura watched Kakashi roll out his cot and sit down to silently inspect his weapons. On the outside, he looked very calm, and yet she couldn't help but think there was something troubling him. Something he was keeping to himself. His motions were just too…tight.

Eventually, Sakura decided to push her worries aside. A full day of travel had quickly caught up with her, and now the thought of sleep was forcing its way into her mind. She could worry about Kakashi tomorrow.

With that, she lay back and shut her eyes.

Sakura didn't recall drifting off, but when she awoke to the dark chill of night peering into her tent, she sat up. For some reason, her heart was racing.

Quickly, she kicked her sleeping bag away and glanced outside. It took her a moment to realize Kakashi was gone.

_Maybe he went to bed, _she thought to herself.

But no one else had taken his place on guard duty.

Sakura felt a frown tug at her lips. Something was definitely off.

Quietly, she crawled out of her tent and stood up, feeling small strands of hair tickle her face as a soft breeze rolled through the forest. There was something almost ominous about the sheer silence that had draped over the landscape like a shroud.

Where had Kakashi gone?

With a small twist of fear in her stomach, Sakura started walking through the trees, keeping her footsteps as light as possible so as not to alert the others. As she moved, she was accompanied only by the hushed swish of the canopy overhead and a group of frogs croaking near the stream. Her thoughts seemed to slow to a halt. She wasn't sure what she was doing, but her feet kept her moving forward.

Finally, Sakura stopped when she saw the familiar silhouette of Kakashi's form up ahead. He was facing away from her, lightly supporting himself against a tree. She almost had the mind to walk up to him, but then decided against it. Rather, she continued to stare.

Eventually, the wind carried a few hushed murmurs to her ears, and she furrowed her brow in confusion.

Who was Kakashi talking to?

Carefully, she crept a little closer until she could just make out what he was saying. He seemed incredibly distressed, raking his hand through his hair as he trembled and fervently shook his head as if responding to someone. As far as Sakura could tell, he was completely alone.

"Shut up. No, I would never—"

Kakashi broke off as he started pacing around the tree. His motions were jolted and frantic—so unlike his usual calm demeanor.

"No, no, no. You're wrong. You can't control me. You can't—"

Alarmed, Sakura crept closer until a twig snapping under her foot alerted Kakashi of her presence. He whipped around, faster than she would have expected, and what Sakura saw instantly paralyzed her.

Two crimson eyes, bright red against the shadows, bore into her like gleaming, bloody moons.

Kakashi made no move. He didn't even blink. All he did was stand there, motionless—staring at her without a word.

Sakura gawked back at him for what felt like an eternity—her heart pounding so hard inside her chest she was sure he could hear it—before she finally managed to break out of whatever spell had been holding her captive, turn tail, and flee into the shadows.

Kakashi didn't follow her, but she could feel those horrible red eyes on her the entire way back.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: **Hey, guys. Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during these trying times. Love you all.

* * *

"For the last time, I said I'm fine, Sakura-chan."

Naruto shooed her away as she came toward him with her healing chakra. The little bastard refused to let her treat him, even though it was one hundred percent her fault he had a bloody nose to begin with.

"You idiot, I need to make sure I didn't break it," she replied with a burst of anger, though internally she was wracked with guilt.

Early that morning, Naruto had gone into her tent to wake her up, and of course, as soon as his hand had touched her shoulder, she had swung around and punched him in the face.

Sakura let out a sigh. She really hadn't meant to, but could she blame herself? After what had happened last night…

She threw a glance at Kakashi, who was standing across the clearing with Yamato and Genma, discussing their route over a wrinkled map. His back was to her, and they hadn't spoken to each other all morning.

A part of Sakura was tempted to tell Naruto and Sai what she had seen. But then again, this was Kakashi's secret. Would it really be in his best interest to tell the others what he was hiding? Maybe Naruto would understand, but Sakura couldn't say the same for the rest of the team. They would probably vote to send Kakashi back to Konoha, and if that happened, he probably wouldn't ever forgive Sakura.

No. For now, she would just watch him. Make sure he didn't do anything to jeopardize the mission. After all, if the demon inside him was as strong as it appeared to be, there was definitely a possibility of things going wrong.

Hopefully, Sakura was equipped to handle it.

"Okay, okay." Misreading her shift in mood, Naruto plopped down on a rock. "I'll let you look at it. Don't make that face."

Wordlessly, Sakura sat down beside him and hovered her hand over his nose. Luckily for Naruto, she hadn't put any chakra behind her punch, so there weren't any bone fractures, and it was easy work healing the injury until it stopped bleeding.

"There."

Naruto gingerly poked at his nose and smirked. "Well, now I know not to wake you up ever again."

She smiled back at him. "You got that right."

In that moment, Sakura looked up as Sai drifted over, and she could just make out the subtle indication of a frown on his face.

"Everything alright?" she asked.

"I'm not sure."

Naruto rose to his feet. "What do you mean?"

Sai paused for a moment, not looking at either of them. "Does something seem different about Kakashi to either of you?"

Sakura's stomach dropped. She definitely hadn't expected him to say that.

Abruptly, she stood, following the Root's line of sight to the silver-haired man. "W—why do you say that?" she stuttered.

"I don't know. The way he's moving and talking. It's somehow…off."

_Of course. Leave it to Sai to notice something like that. _

Sakura groaned internally but kept her features calm. "I don't notice anything."

"Me either," Naruto chimed.

A distracted hum was Sai's only response.

Just then, Genma approached the group, his gaze first resting on Sakura before moving to the other two.

"You kids all set?" he asked.

Sakura frowned. "Yes—and don't call us kids."

The man only smirked, picking up his pack and turning away. Kakashi and Yamato were already waiting by a copse of trees for the rest of the team to join them. While Sakura grabbed her supplies, she couldn't help but sense Kakashi staring at her. If she had to guess, he was probably going over what had happened last night in his mind. Maybe he was ready to talk about it.

But Sakura definitely was not.

Keeping her eyes down, she joined Naruto and Sai at the back of the group, and after Yamato dissolved his mokuton creations, the team continued on their trek through the forest.

Soon enough, the trees dissolved into rolling fields, and Sakura enjoyed the patches of farmland they passed along the way. The forest had begun to feel suffocating, and she was glad to find herself once again under open skies. It somehow made her problems feel a little less impending.

Silently, Sakura studied the back of Kakashi's head as he led the group. Aside from the occasional interaction with Yamato, he didn't speak a word and he kept his gaze fixed firmly on the distance. She wondered what he was thinking.

Was that demon still whispering in his ear? And if so, what was it saying?

Sakura shook her head, trying to dissolve the fear that had crept into her mind like a horde of spiders. She wanted to believe Kakashi had everything under control like he claimed, but last night had changed things. She was afraid for him.

And almost afraid _of _him.

"Sakura," Sai murmured, drifting up beside her. His voice held an uncharacteristic tone of concern that drew her from her thoughts.

When she looked up, she realized she had fallen a little further back than the rest of the group. "What is it?"

"Last night, you and Kakashi left camp," he murmured. "Did something happen?"

Sakura almost tripped on her own feet. She could hear her voice raise unnaturally as she spluttered, "W—what? Um…no. Nothing happened."

Sai stared at her for a moment. "Sakura, if you want to hone your ninja skills, you should probably work on becoming a better liar."

She gaped back at him, stunned into silence. She worried in the back of her mind that if Sai had seen her go after Kakashi last night, maybe the others had as well. Naruto hadn't said anything, though. And neither had Genma or Yamato.

"I'm the only one who saw you," Sai went on, as if reading her thoughts. "I was going to follow, but…"

"It's okay, Sai. It was nothing." Sakura forced a smile. "Kakashi just went off to take a piss, and I was worried when I didn't see him at camp."

He frowned at her. "Did you see him…?"

Sakura felt a blush spread over her face and waved her hands in front of her. "No, no, no. He was on his way back when we ran into each other. We just talked for a bit before returning to camp."

"But you returned before he did," Sai countered. "And you seemed…distressed."

"Yeah, well…I thought I heard a wolf and got scared so I ran back."

Sai looked at her, unconvinced, but didn't press the matter any further. They walked on in silence.

Around midday, the group stumbled upon an apple grove and a friendly old farmer who allowed them to rest in his field. He even offered them fruit for the road. While the others sat in the shade of the trees and crunched on their apples, Kakashi took the opportunity to pull Sakura aside.

"We need to talk," he stated. His eyes were flat.

Sakura merely nodded, though she felt a wave of anxiety well up in her chest as she silently followed him behind a stone well in the farmer's yard. He was quiet, taking a moment to collect himself, before he finally let out a sigh. "What you saw last night…that was a very rare thing."

Sakura folded her arms across her chest, silent.

"It's true," he insisted. "I've noticed a connection between the phases of the moon and the demon's power. Last night was a full moon, so its chakra was a bit stronger than usual," —Kakashi paused, staring pointedly at her— "but I still kept it under control."

"I know, but how long are you going to be able to keep this up, Kakashi?" Sakura countered. She could hear the strain in her voice as she spoke. "This is getting scary."

"I know," he said, "and I'm sorry. I never wanted to frighten you."

Sakura fell silent, pinching the bridge of her nose as she let out a sigh. Kakashi leaned closer to press a hand to her shoulder, and she tried not to flinch under his touch.

"I'm handling it."

Sakura looked up at him, not even trying to hide the doubt in her eyes.

"I promise," he added—as if that would make her feel any better.

"You better be," she replied, poking a finger in the middle of his chest. "Or I'll be forced to report this incident to Tsunade, whether you like it or not."

Kakashi frowned. "Sakura—"

Without waiting for his reply, she marched away to rejoin the others.

* * *

In the afternoon, the group took a detour around the main road, not wanting to attract unwanted attention. They crossed onto a dirt path that was slightly higher in elevation than the rest of the land, snaking through tree-dotted fields, scattered wood fences, and flowery meadows. The scenery was beautiful, and though Sakura was still on edge after her talk with Kakashi, she felt herself relax incrementally as she walked. It was just too lovely a day to be worried. She would save that for when they arrived at the capital.

This time, it was Genma's turn to wander up beside her.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?"

She glared at him. "None of your business."

"Ah," he flicked his senbon. "Then I'll tell you what I'm thinking instead."

Sakura didn't answer, but he seemed to take her silence as an invitation to keep talking.

"I'm thinking you look very pretty today."

She frowned, then blushed, then balled her fists to pummel him. But when she met his gaze and saw the sincerity in his eyes, her anger somehow dissipated.

Genma was just trying to cheer her up—in his stupid Genma way.

"Thanks," she muttered.

She didn't think she looked any different than usual. Her hair was in its usual style, braided down her back with choppy bangs that framed the sides of her face. Her black tunic, hemmed in white and stamped with the Haruno family crest on the sleeves, was a bit frumpled from camping out in the woods. Beneath it, she had on her usual chainmail and spandex shorts. Her nin-boots were faded and scuffed from years of wear—nothing special there.

Still, the way Genma was looking at her…

Well, it was anything but appropriate, especially considering his rank.

"Here, you look like you could use one of these."

Sakura looked up to see him extending a white paper carton toward her, a cigarette poking out. She almost had it in her mind to accept it.

"No, thanks." She arched an eyebrow at him. "As a medic, I don't think I need to tell you how bad those are for you."

"Never claimed they weren't." He went to take the cigarette for himself, but then Kakashi shot him a look.

"We're on a mission. Don't even think about it."

Genma saluted the man. "Yes, sir."

For his sarcastic tone, Sakura half expected Kakashi to come over and knock the life out of him. But the copy-nin simply frowned and returned his attention to the road.

_Well, at least he seems like he's got his emotions in check… for now, _Sakura thought idly.

Perhaps Genma's insolence was a good thing, if it would help her gauge Kakashi's state of mind throughout the mission.

"You're a brat," Sakura muttered to him. He opened his mouth, but she cut him off with a glare. "I swear, if you say 'takes one to know one,' I'm going to punch you so hard you'll forget your own name."

His jaw snapped shut.

The team continued on for hours until the sun began to slowly descend toward the earth. Hot pink and fiery orange streaks painted the sky, the majority of which was steadily darkening to a deep blue. It wasn't long before the first smattering of stars began to appear against the navy backdrop.

"We're about a mile away from the checkpoint," Kakashi announced.

"Finally," Naruto muttered.

The group entered a scraggled copse of trees, twisting and curling into one another like a strange sort of archway. Deep shadows quickly enveloped them as they progressed.

Suddenly, Kakashi stopped, and everyone else followed.

In a split second, the atmosphere shifted. Sakura tensed, every cell in her body suddenly on high alert, and then something shot through the leaves.

"Everybody, take cover," Kakashi barked, and the group disseminated just as a shower of arrows shot toward them.

_Fwip! Fwip! Fwip! _

Sakura yelped as an arrow nearly wedged itself in her shoulder. She stumbled back, and it scraped her arm, leaving a tear in her sleeve and a burning pain in its wake. Instantly, she gripped the wound and glanced around for her attacker.

"Sakura!"

Abruptly, she was knocked off her feet as another arrow pierced the air with a sharp hiss—just where her head used to be. It thumped harshly into the tree behind her.

Heart thudding in her chest, she looked up at Kakashi. They had fallen into a dense line of shrubs just off the path, Kakashi shielding Sakura from the onslaught as his eyes flicked wildly around. She could practically feel the adrenaline pulsing off his body like electricity.

Without thinking, she reached out to grip the front of his shirt. She could hear the others shouting and running about—the clear signs of an altercation scattering through the trees.

Kakashi grabbed her and looked down. "Stay here."

"But—" A shot of panic lanced through her chest as she tried to move, but the burning sensation traveling down her arm instantly stilled her.

"You're hurt," he said. "Wait for me."

Before she could try to argue again, he dragged her further into the foliage and then flashed away to join the others.

Sakura fell back against the ground, her pulse beating fast. Too fast. She felt a familiar numbness stretching through her arm, slowly spreading to the rest of her body, which told her the arrow that had struck her had been dipped in poison.

"Shit," she spat under her breath. All she could do was lay there, listening to the commotion between her friends and their mysterious attackers. Her mind could only jump to the worst possible conclusion.

It was very likely that the Red Lotus had caught up to them.

And Kakashi, filled with the demon's chakra, had just thrown himself in their midst.

"Shit, shit, shit," she repeated. Her eyes squeezed shut. She couldn't bear to listen to the chaos unfolding around her, but it swallowed her like a wave until she finally passed out.

* * *

When Sakura came-to, she first became aware of a pair of arms wrapped around her, and then a solid wall of muscle pressed against her back. At first, her thoughts turned to Naruto. The sudden comfort she felt certainly reminded her of him. But then she recognized the scent that drifted around her with a start.

"Kakashi-sensei?" she murmured, then realized how childish she sounded. It had been a long time since she had called him that.

"I'm here," his voice rumbled in her ear. "We all are."

"What—what happened?" she croaked, trying to sit up until a swimming sensation in her head forced her back down.

"Road thieves," Genma answered, and Sakura squinted to see him kneeling in front of her, the others slowly coming into view behind him.

"You were poisoned by an arrow strike," Yamato spoke up. "Luckily, the toxin they used is very common. We found the antidote in your pack."

"Oh," Sakura sighed. The memories flashed through her mind in an instant, and she glanced down at her arm, which was now cleanly wrapped in gauze.

"Kakashi got you all fixed up, but you might want to heal yourself when you get your energy back," Naruto said. His eyes were laced with concern as he stared at her. Sakura could only guess she looked like death.

"Yeah," was all she could offer in reply.

Quietly, Sai wandered up to kneel beside Genma. He extended something toward her, and after Sakura stared at it for a moment, she realized it was a granola bar.

"You should probably eat something, Sakura," he urged.

A wave of nausea swept over her, and her nose wrinkled.

"Leave it," Kakashi said. "I'll get her to eat it later."

Sai nodded and carefully set the bar on the ground. With that, the others retreated to set up their sleeping bags, leaving the two alone.

"Just road thieves?" Sakura murmured when she was sure no one could hear her.

"Yes." She felt Kakashi shift behind her, his face drawing a little closer to her own. "Although there is a small matter we need to discuss…"

His breath feathered her neck, warm and gentle, and Sakura almost would have relished it if her stomach hadn't immediately twisted into knots.

"A small matter?" she repeated.

He paused, and each second that ticked by only increased her anxiety. Sakura reached for his hand and squeezed it, silently assuring him he could tell her what was on his mind. To her surprise, his fingers slowly laced through her own.

"Well, for starters…I brought that stone with me."

She tensed. "What? Why?"

"I didn't feel comfortable leaving it in Konoha while I wasn't there."

He smoothed his thumb over the back of her hand, letting out a sigh, and though she couldn't see his face, she could only guess a deep frown had settled over his features. Immediately, a surge of fear took over her as she waited for him to continue.

"Sakura…"

Another sigh.

"...they stole it."

* * *

**A/N: **Yall, I know the flirtation game between Genma and Sakura is fuckin strong but I just can't help myself :') I'm thinking for now the vibe between Kakashi and Sakura is gonna be mostly serious to contrast that. I'm planning some flirtation for them too, though... especially when Kakashi decides to up his game to beat Genma. OOf I just love jealous Kakashi, come at me bro


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: ***clanks pans together and screams* you guys, I really don't know what to say about this chapter. It's basically all self-gratification and I'm not sorry.

p.s. There are some mild dubcon elements ahead. You have been warned.

* * *

The next morning was marked by a palpable tension that the entire group seemed to feel. Everyone kept their heads down and their mouths shut, even though the atmosphere had entirely and exclusively been caused by Kakashi and Sakura. They had gotten into an argument the night before, whispering harshly at one another for hours as the others slept, and though the contents of their fight were still (hopefully) a secret, the rest of the team seemed to know something was going on between them.

Sakura shook her head, remembering how nonchalant Kakashi had acted when he told her they didn't have time to track down the thieves who had stolen the black stone. She had reminded him, insistently, that they _had _to get it back. It was the only thing, as far as they knew, that could remove the demon chakra from his body.

They had gone back and forth like that for hours—Kakashi refusing to delay their mission any further, and Sakura trying her best not to smack him upside the head for being such a massive idiot.

Eventually, Kakashi's word had won out over hers; he was team leader, after all, even if he was a giant ass. So Sakura had given up and resorted to shooting silent daggers at him from afar.

The stone was gone—and neither of them knew if there were any others in existence. What would Kakashi do if his only chance of clearing that _thing _from his body had disappeared forever?

With that in mind, Sakura felt a permanent scowl settle over her features as the team continued their travels.

By mid-morning, they reached the gates to the city, where they were promptly received by a squadron of the daimyo's guards and led directly to the palace. Sakura had been to the capital a couple of times before, but its grandeur and magnificence still continued to amaze her—its tall, clustered buildings, cleanly paved streets, and bustling storefronts. There were Fire Country symbols posted at every corner, and warm lights bathing the sidewalks where diverse crowds of people ambled about. Admittedly, it had taken Sakura a moment to orient herself to all the sights and sounds.

The team progressed down a winding, flowery path where the land sloped and a line of stone walls and arches cropped up beneath the sun. Each building that comprised the palace grounds had its own unique character and charm, all surrounded by gardens and fish ponds and flowing streams that went as far as the eye could see, but the central building—which housed the daimyo's residence and the council rooms—was the most immense. It was traditional in style—black tiered roofs, red and gold ornaments, and a massive red insignia for the Land of Fire posted over the entryway. They entered a tunnel of sorts at the front of the property and emerged through the biggest rock garden Sakura had ever seen. The sounds of trickling bamboo fountains and wind chimes followed them as they made their way up a wide flight of marble steps to the doorway.

"Damn, the daimyo must be loaded," Naruto muttered beside her.

Sakura shot him a glare. "Naruto."

"What? It's true."

Leaving the conversation there, Sakura simply rolled her eyes and followed the group inside the giant building. They found themselves traveling down a long corridor with ceilings so high Sakura felt a little woozy when she glanced up. Crystal sconces and antique scrolls and elaborate paintings decorated every square inch of the walls, which were awash in that same black, gold, and red motif as the exterior. Inwardly, Sakura agreed with Naruto; the place screamed of luxury, and she started to bristle at the memory of the small sum of money Tsunade had been granted for hospital repairs following the fire.

_Cheapskate, _she silently muttered.

The sound of her footsteps bounced steadily off the walls, echoing back to her in an almost eerie way. She wondered idly how someone could live in a place as seemingly vast and daunting as this. Despite all the noblemen that poured in and out of the building each day, it felt somewhat hollow. Lonely, even.

Finally, the guards filed down a long, torch-lit hall and stopped to rap on the door at the end. A deep voice responded, and the foremost guard announced the team's arrival.

"Ah, send them in."

With that, they were ushered inside a dome-shaped room where a group of men sat in a raised platform above the floor. Sakura swallowed nervously as the team approached. She almost felt like they were going on trial for something.

"Greetings, Team Kakashi. We have eagerly awaited your arrival," the deep-voiced man spoke in a slow drawl. He sat in the middle of the group, thin and lanky in stature with paper-white skin and long black hair tied in a top-knot. Sakura thought he would have been handsome if his features weren't so sharp and gaunt. She guessed a lifetime of political experience probably didn't bode well for the human body. In fact, all of the councilmen looked rather ill.

Kakashi bowed, assuming a diplomatic air that was so unlike him, as he replied, "Please forgive our tardiness, Lord Akiguro. We encountered a small impedance last night, though it was swiftly handled."

The councilman lifted an eyebrow. "What sort of impedance?"

"Road thieves."

"Ah. That is a very common occurrence this time of year, especially on the secondary roads. Still, I'm sorry to hear your journey was not ideal."

Kakashi bowed again. "Regardless, we are ready to fulfill our promise to the daimyo."

"Good." Lord Akiguro glanced at his colleagues before returning his attention to Kakashi. "As you know, the city has encountered numerous transgressions at the hands of the so-called 'Red Lotus.' Not much is known about the group, aside from the fact that it uses a unique form of demon warfare to enact its crimes. Your mission here is twofold: first, gather intel on the group and report all information back to me, and second, track and eliminate all targets. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," the team proclaimed in unison.

Satisfied, the man continued, "You are to meet at military headquarters in an hour, where the commanding officers will inform you of your first task. Please be there precisely on the hour."

Akiguro said his last words with a pointed look at Kakashi, who merely nodded in acceptance.

"Now then. I will have the guards show you to your quarters. Dismissed."

With a flick of his hand, the guards appeared once more and ushered the team out of the council room. They departed from the main building and followed a cobblestone footpath to another, smaller building a few hundred yards away. The lead guard stopped just outside and handed Kakashi a scroll.

"Here is a map and the seals to your rooms. The entire space has been reserved in order to ensure maximum security. You are not to invite any non-issued individuals into the building unless permitted by Lord Akiguro."

With that, the guards formed hand signs and disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving Sakura and the others to stand in the yard and stare at the guest house. Then Kakashi spoke up.

"Right. Let's get settled and then head to base."

Nodding in response, the team followed him into the building.

It wasn't nearly as spacious as the daimyo's residence, but in Sakura's opinion, it still held an air of luxury. After allowing herself a small tour of the place, she climbed a winding stairwell to the top floor and was secretly charmed upon finding her room. She had her own balcony, flowing with purple flowers and trails of ivy, which offered a lovely view of the city and the daimyo's many gardens. The room itself was stocked with several volumes of literature that lined an entire wall, a small fireplace, and a joining bathroom. And her bed…

Sakura plopped down on it and sighed. It was so big and fluffy she felt like she was laying on a cloud. She couldn't wait for night to come so she could have the best sleep of her life. Kami knew she needed it.

As she lay there, staring at the ceiling, her mind drifted back to Kakashi.

Why had he been so stubborn last night? If he had gone to track those thieves as soon as she'd suggested it, he may have been able to recover the black crystal before it was too late.

But now…

_Those people are long gone, _Sakura thought to herself with a heavy sigh.

What was Kakashi going to do without that stone?

"You're worrying too much," a voice drifted from the doorway, and Sakura shot up to see the very man in question. He was leaning against the frame, arms crossed and head cocked.

"You're not worrying _enough _," Sakura retorted.

With a sigh, Kakashi slowly entered the room, and she felt a sudden twinge of nervousness as he did. She really didn't know what to expect from him at this rate, and the thought made her body tense.

"You heard Akiguro," Kakashi began. "Part of our mission here is to gather intel. That's why Tsunade chose three ex-Anbu for this team. We're going to find information, and chances are, we'll figure out another way to go about this whole 'exorcism' thing."

Sakura stared at him. For some reason, she felt his words were intended more for her own comfort, as if he didn't truly believe what he was saying.

"Maybe…"

"Besides, I _have _been worried." Kakashi ran a hand over his masked jaw, and in that instant, Sakura wondered when he had last had a decent rest. The circles under his eyes were starting to turn purple. "That's why I wanted to talk to you."

"Okay. What do you want?"

Sakura's voice came out a little harsher than she expected, but Kakashi didn't seem to notice as he shifted toward the window and looked out over the palace yard.

"You're the only person I can trust with this…" he murmured vaguely.

Sakura waited for him to continue, but several moments of silence lingered on. She guessed he was deep in thought, trying to form the right words in his head. The damn man always had a habit of beating around the bush when it came to sensitive topics. What was really going on with him?

Sakura was almost afraid to ask.

Finally, Kakashi let out a sigh, his body visibly sagging against the wall as he turned back to her. "If at any point during this mission I get out of control, I'm counting on you to stop me."

Sakura felt her forehead crinkle. "What do you mean?"

"You were right when you said the nature of this mission wasn't appropriate for me…given the circumstances." He paused to rub the back of his neck. "Still, I know Tsunade is counting on me. The team is counting on me. I can't let anything go wrong, and that's why I need your help, Sakura."

Something in his voice had her on edge, like he was about to tell her something so horrible that he needed to prepare her first, ease her in.

"Well, what exactly do you want me to do?"

She saw his jaw twitch, the muscles of his body unnaturally tensed as he stood there. Then he continued.

"If this demon chakra becomes too strong…if you ever think it's reached a point of no return…I need you to take me out."

"Take you out…?" It took Sakura a moment to process his words before she bolted off the bed. "What the fuck does that mean, Kakashi? You want me to kill you?"

"If necessary."

It was wrong—how calm he was. How certain. Sakura felt a sinking feeling in her gut, cold and slow and heavy, and suddenly she had the urge to vomit.

She glared at him, fists clenched. "Kakashi, you idiot."

He merely blinked at her. It seemed he had expected this reaction, and he had nothing else to say.

"If it comes to that, we'll figure something out. We will. I'm not going to…I would never…"

She couldn't get the words out, too furious and disgusted to piece any coherent thoughts together; they had become nothing more than a jumbled mess in her brain.

"Sakura…you and I both know my control is slipping. It's no use hiding it anymore. You saw me the other night…" Kakashi gave her a pointed look. "This thing has figured out how to talk to me. It's smart. And it's only getting smarter."

It was odd—finally hearing Kakashi admit the truth. Sakura thought that's what she had wanted from him to begin with, but now…

It terrified her.

"We'll figure something else out, Kakashi," she reiterated firmly. "You can trust me as far as that goes."

He was silent for a long time, and they simply stared at each other. Sakura couldn't get over how tired he looked. How utterly exhausted he was. She now saw what Sai had meant the other day when he'd said Kakashi seemed 'different.' Everything about him was worn and washed out. She could tell this entire ordeal was becoming difficult for him to bear.

How long would he be able to put up a fight before he buckled under the pressure?

Sakura didn't have time to explore the thought before Kakashi picked himself up and started to cross the room. She half expected him to walk toward the door, but instead, he padded slowly over to her.

He looked pale, very pale—like all the blood had been drained from his body. It was the first thing she noticed as he came closer, step by step, almost dragging his feet. And then she saw it. Something in his eyes—a flash of red—and he inched a little _too _close.

Before she knew it, the backs of her knees hit the edge of the bed and she sat back down.

She waited there, staring up at him, suddenly too stunned to move or speak. Something like electricity crackled in the air between them, and it was almost palpable as he leaned down, slowly, to place his hands on either side of her.

"I don't think you understand what I'm trying to tell you, Sakura."

She swallowed, and despite her best efforts to remain calm, her voice came out a near squeak.

"I do understand."

"No." He leaned in closer, causing the mattress to sink under his palms. "You don't."

Slowly, the small flash of red Sakura had seen seconds ago returned, and this time it remained, spreading like flames across his irises. She watched, both mesmerized and horrified as her reflection in his eyes was engulfed by a rippling sea of crimson.

A low rumble filled Kakashi's voice when he spoke again, deep and commanding, and Sakura couldn't tear her eyes away.

"You don't know what it says to me. What it forces me to feel. The things it wants me to do…" —those malevolent red eyes flickered over her face, down her neck, her chest, her legs, and then back to her face— "...the things it wants me to do to you."

It was a look Sakura instantly recognized, and it sent chills down her spine. Kakashi was losing his grip right before her eyes, and a small voice told her she needed to gain control of him fast, or things were not going to turn out well for either of them.

"Kakashi, you need to snap out of this."

He ignored her, cocking his head to the side as his eyes crinkled in a cold smirk. She could feel heat radiating off him in waves. It wasn't natural.

"What are you going to do, Sakura…if I take it too far?"

As he spoke, one of his hands moved to slide up her thigh, his palm rough and warm against her skin. She quickly caught it.

"Kakashi, stop."

A deep chuckle rolled in his chest, almost like a growl—so violent and threatening that it raised the hairs on the back of her neck. It was as if his voice suddenly wasn't his at all.

"Do you think I would?"

The mattress sagged even further until Sakura fell on her back, Kakashi pinning her beneath him. Instinctively, her palms warmed with chakra, her heart racing in her chest. If she wanted to, she could blast Kakashi right through the wall—but she wasn't sure if she wanted to. After all, this wasn't completely _him _. There was something else pulling the strings. Something that seemed to _want _her to hurt him.

No. Attacking Kakashi was out of the question, but maybe there was a way to bring him back. He was still in there somewhere…

Before she had time to come up with a plan, she felt him jam a knee between her legs, forcing them apart. At the same time, the rough material of his mask grazed against her neck, and every muscle in her body tensed as he puffed hot breath against her skin.

"I can feel your heartbeat," he rumbled. "Are you scared?"

Sakura grit her teeth. "No."

He chuckled again, that low, menacing sound that made her spine tingle—his nose tracing a line down her neck, over her pulse. In that moment, her mind was swirling with a million thoughts and questions, but her body remained frozen in its place.

Kakashi's hand traveled up her thigh to rest on her hip, holding her down as his pelvis grazed against hers, barely at first—and then, after a slow buildup, more directly. Sakura sucked in a breath and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to reign in her composure even though the sensations running through her body were hard to ignore. She never in a thousand years thought she and Kakashi would find themselves in this position again.

But here they were.

It was in that moment that Kakashi paused, his fingers twitching against her skin. She felt warmth on her neck as he hummed in amusement.

"Oh, I see…you really aren't scared." He pressed into her again, hard, and she made a sound in the back of her throat. "You're turned on, aren't you?"

She didn't answer. She couldn't. It was all she could do not to moan as he returned his lips to her neck.

"You smell so good," he murmured, breathing her in. Even without looking at him, she could hear the sadistic smile on his face. "I could just eat you up."

"Kakashi, please," Sakura choked out.

"Please…what? Stop?" She let out a gasp as she felt his hand slide under her skirt, his fingers pressing at the tender spot there that made her toes curl— "...Or keep going?"

She kept her eyes shut, too overwhelmed to acknowledge what was happening. She didn't want to look. Didn't want to admit to herself that this was real.

Kakashi's ministrations were soft, teasing even, despite the harshness with which he spoke. He even let out a groan when Sakura's back arched, involuntarily, and she pressed against his hand.

What he was doing felt so good. She didn't want to admit it to herself, but the reactions her body gave were enough of a sign. She just couldn't believe what was happening. It felt more like a dream than reality.

Or a nightmare.

It wasn't long before he was tearing her panties away, his fingers tracing up and down her vulnerable flesh before she felt them push inside her.

Sakura threw her head back and moaned.

"Mm…you're so wet," he hummed. "You like it, don't you?"

"No!"

He chuckled again, fanning another wave of heat over her neck. "Don't lie."

He pushed even deeper inside her and her voice caught in her throat, his fingertips brushing against her walls, filling and stretching her in a way that made her insides flutter, that made her feel like the world was spinning just a little faster. And then there was a spark—tiny little vibrations that made her legs twitch—and after a moment, she realized he had laced his fingers with chakra. The sensation was so strong it made her head spin, her body clenching deliciously around him.

It only took a few minutes of his careful pumping to wind the coil tight inside her. Her body succumbed to a tingling, spreading pleasure that made her muscles weak, and she started to feel like she was melting into the bed.

"I might as well make you come, huh," he muttered into her ear.

Sakura's arousal flared at that, but despite his words, his motions slowed, the warmth of his chakra retreating, and Sakura snapped her eyes open.

"Beg." His eyes flared with a threat that made her heart race. Sakura gaped back at him. Despite everything, her body was already aching for release.

In a moment of pure impulse, she grit her teeth and spat, "Fuck you."

His response was an unaffected chuckle. "Ah, so you're going to be like that…"

He drew his fingers further back, almost withdrawing entirely, and Sakura let out a whine despite herself. Kakashi smiled and teased her entrance with the tips of his digits.

And it only took a few carefully placed touches for Sakura to break like a dam.

"Kakashi, please," she puffed. "I can't handle it."

"Please, what? Say it."

His voice was harsh, urgent.

"Please…"

"Just say it, and you'll have your release." To emphasize his words, he circled his thumb over her clit, and she bit her lip.

"Please…let me come."

When she looked back at him, his eyes flared an even darker shade of red, satisfaction pooling in their depths.

Without hesitation, he plunged his fingers back inside her.

"Mmm, fuck!"

Sakura let out a barely suppressed cry as Kakashi's chakra lanced through her body, tinged with another sensation that she could only guess was the demon's essence. In a split second, the fear that somehow the entity could possess her again crossed her mind, but it was quickly wiped away when Kakashi stroked a sweet spot inside her and the waves of orgasm crashed over her like a tsunami.

"Kakashi!"

Blindly, she reached for his face, yanking his mask down and pulling him toward her. Surprisingly, he offered no resistance and crashed his lips against hers, his tongue driving madly into her mouth as she writhed in pleasure beneath him.

Warmth and heat and energy crackled between them, and for a moment, Sakura completely forgot where she was. All she could feel was the rippling pleasure and Kakashi's presence wrapping around her, swallowing her whole, and she secretly wished it would never end.

Gradually, as Sakura's release ebbed, Kakashi slowed his pace until his fingers stilled inside her, and at the same time, their heated kiss evolved into a series of smaller, tender ones—Sakura resting a hand on his jaw as he laced his fingers through her hair. It was a few more minutes before they finally broke apart, and when Sakura looked up at him, she realized his eyes were totally back to normal.

"Kakashi?" she whispered.

He stared back at her, equal parts stunned and amazed.

And then promptly scrambled off the bed.

"Sakura," he choked out. "I—um—what just…?"

She stared at him for a moment as he tried to collect himself. As for her, she wasn't sure what she should have been feeling aside from a mindless thrum of satisfaction. Truthfully, what had happened was so unfounded and bizarre and wonderful that her brain couldn't process it.

"Why…did we do that?" Kakashi managed to choke out.

"Um…I don't know. Maybe it has something to do with the horny demon inside you?"

Kakashi frowned. "Well, that's my excuse. What's yours?"

Sakura blushed then and glanced at her lap. In a barely audible voice, she murmured, "I don't know…"

Kakashi gawked at her, a small tinge of pink settling over his face, before he started pacing around the room. Sakura kept staring at him, worried for a second that something had snapped inside his brain.

"I didn't think it would happen again," he muttered, half to himself.

"Well, it did."

"Sakura…I can't believe you let me do that."

"Hey, you were pretty forceful, you know."

"I know, I'm sorry." He stopped in the middle of the room and frowned at her. "Wait, that wasn't even me though."

"Mm-hm. That's what all the guys say."

"I'm serious, Sakura."

She let out a sigh and leaned back on her elbow, still loose and wobbly from what Kakashi—er, the demon—had done to her.

"Just calm down. It's over."

He ran a hand through his hair, and it was at that point that he realized his face was still exposed for her to see. Quickly, he snapped his mask back up and crossed his arms.

"We can't let that happen again."

Sakura stared back at him. "Okay."

"Really. We can't."

"Why? Is the world gonna end if we do?"

Sakura was challenging him now, she knew it. But part of her really did wonder what was so wrong with what they had done.

"It's dangerous. That demon could have hurt or killed you."

Sakura couldn't help but notice his reasoning had nothing to do with him being her former teacher, or their age difference. That was something, at least.

"You have a point." Sakura picked at her fingers. "Still, I didn't really feel like I was in control either. Do you think the demon had some kind of influence over me?"

She was backpedaling now. She knew most definitely that wasn't the case, and she certainly _had _enjoyed what they had done. But this was more her way of offering him a way out. They could both pretend this was about the demon and nothing more, and things wouldn't have to get any more complicated than they already were.

But then Kakashi slid onto the floor and planted his face in his hands, muttering something along the lines of, "This really has gone too far."

And Sakura, because she was far too prideful for her own good, grunted back, "Well, gee, you really know how to make a girl feel special, Kakashi."

His head jerked up. "What do you mean?"

"It's just…why do you act like this? Yeah, we did stuff, and it's a little weird, but it's like you're disgusted by it. Am I really that repulsive?"

To her surprise, after staring at her for a long time, he lowered his head and let out a breathy chuckle.

Sakura felt herself bristle. "It's not funny."

"It's extremely funny."

"Why?"

"Because that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard you say."

Sakura stared at him, waiting for an elaboration.

After a small pause, he rose from the floor and made his way back over to her. This time, he was tentative in the way he sat on the bed and faced her.

"You really think I find you repulsive?"

He laughed again.

Sakura blushed, because—basically—Kakashi had just admitted he was attracted to her.

"No, but stop acting so fucking self-righteous," she retorted. "It's annoying."

Kakashi sighed. "I've been acting self-righteous to protect you…and myself, in a sense."

Sakura's lips turned into a frown. "Explain."

"You're a beautiful woman, Sakura," he murmured, reaching for her hand, and instantly, her heart began to flutter. "I've fantasized about you more times than I'd like to admit, but when those fantasies first crossed into reality—and because of something that was out of my control—I didn't really know how to handle that. I still don't. It's made me question a lot of things about myself, and it doesn't help that there's a new voice in the mix."

Sakura nodded slowly. That definitely explained some things.

"This demon chakra…it warps everything I think and feel. It blurs lines. Makes it hard for me to distinguish the boundaries between reality and my own mind," Kakashi went on. "That's why I push you away. I don't want to cause you any harm, Sakura. Ever."

Before she had time to gather a response, he slowly rose from the bed.

"We can save this discussion for later," he said. "For now, we've got a mission to complete."

Sakura nodded and stood as well, giving her best effort at a smile even though she still felt incredibly strange.

Kakashi was right. They needed to focus on the mission.

The more confusing matters could wait.

"Okay," she murmured, hoping her feelings weren't reflected in her voice. "Let's go."


End file.
